OMNIUM SANCTORUM HIBERNIAE

Author: Michele Ainley

  • Saint Vouga of Carn, June 15

    June 15 is the commemoration of a County Wexford saint with a reputed Breton link, Vouga or Beoc. I have already reprinted a paper on this saint by the 19th-century scholar Margaret Stokes here, but Canon O’Hanlon, drawing on the work of the 17th-century cleric, Albert le Grand, has plenty of additional information to bring us below:

    ST. VOUGA, VIE, OR VAUK, BISHOP, IN BRITTANY, FRANCE, AND PATRON OF CARN PARISH, COUNTY OF WEXFORD.

    [SIXTH CENTURY.]

    Of a very unsatisfactory character is the information we are permitted to communicate regarding the present ascetic man, the greater part of whose life and actions appears to have been concealed from men and known only to the Almighty. The notices regarding this saint, which have been compiled by Albert le Grand, were taken from an ancient British Manuscript Chronicle, and from an old legendary parchment manuscript, which had been kept in the monastery of St. Matthew, in the diocese of Leon; besides, he made use of certain collections, belonging to the church of Leon, and compiled in the fifteenth century; also, an old choral legendary, belonging to the church of Leon, and some memoranda from the church of Armagh, in Ireland —said to have been authentic, and communicated by Rev. Father Vincent du Val a S. Maria, Vice-Provincial of the Dominicans in Ireland—these were employed in drawing up his account. To those notices, Albert le Grand adds various conjectures of his own. The Bollandists have published Acts of St. Vouga or Vio, at the 15th of June, in eight paragraphs. These have been collected from various sources. We are doubtful, if Vouga had been the Irish name for this saint. He flourished, as has been supposed, about the sixth century; but, his parentage and the exact place of his birth have not been recorded.

    He was a bishop, it is said, before he left the country of his birth, but his name is not to be met with in the records of any Irish See. A rather late Life of this holy man, and that founded on popular tradition, seems to have been the chief authority for the legends regarding him. We are told, by Albert le Grand, that the venerable man Vouga lived in Ireland, and that owing to his innocence and uprightness he was ordained a priest, becoming a canon in the church of Armagh, and afterwards its Archbishop, and the Primate of Ireland. For these latter statements, however, there are no historic grounds, and they must be dismissed as altogether misleading and inaccurate. It is related, furthermore, that having received those honours with great reluctance, he soon desired to be released from such a weight of responsibility, and therefore he importuned God with prayers, that he might be permitted to seek some monastery or desert place, where his life should be wholly devoted to heavenly contemplation. The Almighty heard his petitions. He was inspired to sail over the ocean, and to a country where he was destined to find rest, as also to gather great fruits. Vouga then returned thanks to the Almighty, for thus manifesting his divine approval.

    Leaving his See of Armagh and its residence by night, he sought the sea coast, where, however, he found no vessel to carry him away. There were some large rocks beside the shore, and these were to furnish a means for transit. One of the legends concerning him states, that he mounted on a huge stone, which he wished to serve as a ship, and that it should move to whatever place had been allotted for his residence. He sailed across the sea on it, until after a voyage of nearly twenty-four hours, he was wafted towards Armoric Britain. He entered the port of Cornuaille, known as Penmarch or Penmarck. Fables have been added to this voyage, which probably had been undertaken in an ordinary sailing vessel of the time. The arrival of St. Vouga, with many other holy men, who came from Great Britain, into Brittany, has been ascribed to before 523, while Hormisdas was Pope, while Justin Augustus presided over the Empire, while Hoel II. ruled in Upper Armorica, and while Jugduvale governed in Lower Armorica. Having left his friends and native country, Vouga resolved on leading an eremitical life in Little Britain. He is said to have received a public welcome from the people of Penmarck, who provided for him a place and house in which to reside. There he preached the Word of God, and he worked many miracles. Afterwards, Vouga erected a hermitage for himself, about one-half mile from Penmarck, so that he might devote himself to a contemplative life. However, his reputation for sanctity having spread throughout all that part of the country, the people flocked to him in crowds, to be healed of fevers and other disorders. Among other miracles recorded is one of his having restored a woman to life.

    Finding that this intercourse with worldings tended to distract his pious meditations, he soon resolved on leaving that place. He went from Lanveoc to Brest, but still he could not find a place for rest; until passing through the city of Leineven, he sought a dense wood. There he erected a small oratory with a hut near it. Afterwards, he associated with some religious, in the exercise of meritorious works, until it pleased the Almighty to call him away from the labours of this life to his eternal reward. He died it is stated, on the 15th day of June, about the year 585. Particulars regarding his Acts, because they do not appear to rest on very reliable authorities, are omitted, by Bishop Challoner. His disciples buried him under the altar of his chapel. Thither flocked the faithful, afterwards, and many miracles were wrought through his intercession. At length, some wood was cut down, and a church was there built, which was dedicated to him. This, St. Tenenanus, Bishop of Leon, erected into a parochial church. There, too, the venerable relics of St. Vouga were preserved for a long time, and until the Invasion of the Normans, when it was found necessary to remove the greater part of these to a place of greater security. However, a Missal belonging the holy man was there preserved, and feverish patients often found relief by kissing it. His other relics were brought to a chapel, erected about one mile from Penmarck, on the shore of the sea, and in the diocese of Quimper. At this place, called Treguenec, St. Vie is held in special veneration. There, his relics are said to have been preserved, and the chapel has been dedicated to him. Persons suffering from fevers have often been restored to health through pilgrimages to it, when the saint’s intercession was implored. Divers churches are dedicated to him, in Brittany, which proves that he had a public veneration in that province. Thence, too, appears to have spread the fame of his miracles and virtues to Ireland, his native country, and probably it was propagated there by the Anglo-Norman invaders, who first settled in the southeast quarter.

    In St. Vogue’s townland, Carn parish, barony of Forth, and county of Wexford, we find, there are dedicated to St. Vauk or Vaak a church and a well. A patron was formerly held there, on the 20th of January. It may be possible, this saint was identical with the St. Vouga, Bishop, venerated at the 15th of June. From its existing features, the ruined church of St. Vauk does not appear to have been very ancient. It rises within a graveyard, at the extreme southeastern point of Ireland, and standing not far from the sea-shore. In the Gallican Martyrologies, St. Vouga is commemorated at the 15th of June. His name is missing altogether from our ancient Irish Calendars and records. According to the Rev. Alban Butler, on the 15th of June, St. Vouga or Vio is honoured in Lesser Britain.

    Content Copyright © Omnium Sanctorum Hiberniae 2012-2015. All rights reserved.

  • Saint Cumman Beg of Cill Cuimne, June 14

    We can add another name to the list of obscure Irish holy women at June 14, Cumman Beg of Cill Cuimne. She is yet another saint for whom the only record we have is the listing of her name on the Irish calendars. As is so often the case, it is difficult to be definitive about the exact locality in which she flourished, as Canon O’Hanlon explains:

    St. Cuman Becc, or Cumman Beg, Virgin, of Cill Cuimne.

    The name of Cuman Becc of Tamnaigh, is entered in the Martyrology of Tallagh, as having been venerated, at the 14th of June. There was an old church, now uprooted at Kilcumney, in the deanery of Mullingar, and county of Westmeath. The Rev. Dr. Kelly appears to identify the place of this virgin with Rathdowney, a village and parish in the southern part of the Queen’s County. It signifies, as the denomination now stands,”the fort of the church ;” but, the correct name should be Rathdowney, representing the Irish Rath-tamh-naigh, “the fort of the green field.” This is said to have been the old pagan name. There was a Tamhnach-an-reata, now Tawny, in the parish of Derryvullan, in the barony of Tirkennedy, and county of Fermanagh. There is also a Tawny or Taney, a parish in the county of Dublin. In the Martyrology of Donegal, this saint is recorded, at the same date, as Cumman Beg, Virgin, of Cill Cuimne, at Tamhnach.Content Copyright © Omnium Sanctorum Hiberniae 2012-2015. All rights reserved.

  • Saint Damhnat of Sliabh Betha, June 13

    On June 13  we remember Saint Damhnat of Sliabh Betha. As with so many of our holy women, not a great deal is actually known of her life, and in particular there is some confusion around Damhnat’s relationship to Saint Dymphna of Gheel. I am currently doing some more research into this but can introduce the saint with Canon O’Hanlon’s account below, which mentions the relics associated with her:

    St. Damnat or Damhnat, Virgin, of Sliabh Betha.
    [Fifth or Sixth Century.]

    The Martyrology of Tallagh enters a festival, at the Ides or 13th of June, in honour of Damnat Sleibe Betha. Her mother is said to have been Bronach, the daughter of Milchon, St. Patrick’s master, and she was the mother of many saints. She seems to be distinguishable from another known as St. Dympna. Colgan states, that St. Damnoda or Dymna, surnamed Schene, or “the fugitive,” was the daughter to Damen, son to Corpre, surnamed Damh-airgid, son to Eochod, the son of Crimthann, son to Fieg, &c, of the Colla Dachrioch race. He says, that her feast was held on the 13th of June, in Ireland, according to our native Martyrologies, while in Belgium it was celebrated on the 15th of May. He also remarks, that in some Manuscripts, this saint’s name is found written, “Damand-Scene, mac Daimhen,” &c, which means, “Damand, the fugitive, the son of Damen.” It is thought, that two errors have crept into these Manuscripts, at this particular passage. The first was, the transposition of a letter, which converted Damnad, into Damand. For, there was a very celebrated virgin, of the Oirgiell race, called Damnad, who was venerated as patron of Orgiell; whilst there is no saint, male or female, in Irish Martyrologies or Annals, whose name was Damand. The second error appears to. have been, that instead of these words, “Mac-Daimen,” we should read, “Ingen Daimhein,” or “Ingen mhic-Daimhein,” which would mean, “the daughter of Damen,” or “the daughter of Damen’s son.” Both Drs. George Petrie and John O’Donovan thought, however, there was much reason to doubt Colgan’s opinion, that the St. Davnet, venerated in Ireland on the 13th of June, and the St. Dympna, whose feast was on the 15th of May in Belgium, could have been one and the same person. Nor do we feel inclined to believe, that the Damnat of Sleibhe Betha, venerated on the 13th of June, and alluded to in the Martyrology of Tallagh, can be fairly identified with St. Dympna, patroness of Gheel. In the year 1835, while Mr. O’Donovan was travelling in the county of Monaghan, he suspected, that the name of this parish must have been derived from a St. Damhnat, whose habitation had been there. Then a popular tradition prevailed among the old inhabitants, that a St. Davnet was the first founder of the old church in their parish. They had no idea, however, regarding the age in which that female saint lived, but they thought it was a long time after the introduction of Christianity. On being furnished with extracts from the Irish Calendar, he identified Tedavnet with the St. Damhnat, whose feast occurs at this date. Slieve Beagh lies to the north-west of the parish of Tedavnet, which is within the barony and county of Monaghan. That mountain range—forming about one-fourth part of the parish—stretches towards Tyrone. There was an old church, formerly in the parish, which is now utterly destroyed. This ruined church only presents a fragment, about six feet by four, at the present time, and it has been made to serve as a monument for the Robinson family. This place, Anglicized “Bith’s Mountain,” is situated on the confines of the counties of Monaghan and of Fermanagh. In the parish of Tedavnet was kept a crozier of the saint, called Bachall Damhnait which remained in possession of a man, named Lamb. He stated, that this relic had been in his family from time immemorial, having descended to him as an heirloom. Some eight years before he had been accustomed to send it as far as Newry and Dundalk, for the use of persons, who swore on it. Deponents were said to be in great danger, if they swore falsely. Some fearful change of their features was an apprehended result; but, the most usual alteration was said to be their mouths turning awry, or towards the ear. Many persons, when accused of theft by their neighbours, and when threatened, that the Bachall Damhnait should be sent for, frequently came and acknowledged their guilt; for, they feared the result of a false deposition on this relic. In the Martyrology of Donegal is Damhnat, virgin, of Sliabh Betha, at the 13th of June. In the Irish Calendar, belonging to the Irish Ordnance Survey, there is an entry of St. Damhnat’s festival, at the Ides—or 13th—of June. At this date, in the Rev. Alban Butler’s work, we find notices of St. Damhnade; and, in the Circle of the Seasons is mentioned Damh a-nade, Virgin, in Ireland. In the Manuscript of Trinity College, Dublin, classed B. 3, 12, we find at June 13, Ides, Damnate, Virgo.

    Content Copyright © Omnium Sanctorum Hiberniae 2012-2015. All rights reserved.