OMNIUM SANCTORUM HIBERNIAE

Author: Michele Ainley

  • The Holy Daughters of Leinin, March 6

    There are a number of interesting saints commemorated on March 6, but I have chosen to look at a group of holy women whose name lives on in the placename of Killiney, County Dublin. Canon O’Hanlon brings us the details, first of one group of five sisters and then of another sister called Brighit.

    THE HOLY DAUGHTERS OF LEININ, SAINTS DRUGENIA, LUIGENIA, LUICELLA, MACHA AND RIOMTHACH, AT THE CHURCH OF KlLL-NA-NINGEAN, NOW SUPPOSED TO BE KILLININY, COUNTY OF DUBLIN. [Sixth or Seventh Century.]

    In the last chapter of the “Sanctilogium Genealogicum,” these sisters are said to have been the daughters of Leninus, son to Garrchon, son to Donacius, the son of Conamalius, son to Colgan, son to Cronmael, son to Altius, son to Aengus, the son of Nuadatus, &c. In the Martyrology of Tallagh, these sisters are not named, at the 6th of March; but, there they are called, Ingena Lenini, or the “daughters of Leninus.” Marianus O’Gorman, Charles Maguire and the Martyrology of Donegal place the festival of these holy ladies, at the 6th of March. The site for their church is determined, by Dr. O’Donovan, to have been comprised, within the greater part of the barony of Rathdown, in the present county of Dublin, or in some northern part of Wicklow County. There the sept of Ui-Briuin-Cualann was located. According to William M. Hennessy, the place where these pious ladies lived was in the southern part of the county of Killiney Church, County of Dublin. It is now said to be known as Killininy, or Kilnanaughnin, near Fir House Convent, Bohernabreena. There is an old ruined church at Killiney, on the sea-shore of Dublin County, and near the beautiful bay, to which the church gives name…. Whether it was at Killininy, or at Killiney, the pious daughters of Lenin lived, seems an uncertain matter ; but, it is probable enough, that while their sister Brighit remained at the latter place, the following five occupied the former as a residence. Thus, the Martyrology of Donegal enters the daughters of Leinin, as Druigen, Luigen, Luicell, Macha and Riomhtach. These are said to be sisters of Brighit, daughter of Leinin. Their place is called Cill-inghen-Leinin, in Ui-Briuin Cualann, in Leinster. All of those pious ladies, here venerated, were sisters to St. Colman the Bishop and Patron of Cloyne Diocese and, accordingly, they seem to have lived, towards the close of the sixth or the beginning of the seventh century.

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  • Saint Colman the Thirsty, March 5

     

    We have a most interesting saint commemorated on March 5, whom tradition says was literally a martyr to the monastic rule of Saint Patrick. For Colman the Thirsty sacrificed his life rather than transgress the letter of the law. This extraordinary episode provides Canon O’Hanlon with an opportunity to sound very Victorian on the dangers of ‘habits of intoxication’ and ‘the frequent use of spirituous liquors’ and reminds us of the strong moral component of the Irish national revival:

    St. Colman, surnamed the Thirsty.

    [Supposed to be of the Fifth Century.]

    Obedience is better than sacrifice has often been advanced, as a maxim, by spiritual writers; but, in the present instance, we may discover both virtues, distinctly placed, and yet combined. Colgan assigns the festival of a particular St. Colman, to this day; although, he confesses himself unable to determine such a position, with a full degree of certainty. This saint is thought assignable, to the early period of our Christian history. Still, our national hagiologist seems to err in his conjecture, that the present saint may have been a St. Colman, son of Enan, and a brother to three other saints. Elsewhere, he is of opinion, that the present holy man was one of St. Patrick’s disciples. The Bollandists have some brief notices of him. According to Colgan’s inferences, this Colman was a monk under the rule of St. Patrick. So exact was he, in complying with all things required, that he became a martyr to monastic discipline. Whilst employed with other monks in collecting the harvest, at a place denominated Trian Conchobhuir, one of these called Colman felt extremely thirsty. Although a tub of cold water had been placed in the field, to be used by the labourers; yet, an injunction was issued, that no one should drink from it, until the hour for saying Vespers had passed. Colman’s strength began to fail, however, on account of the intolerable thirst experienced; still, the patient monk did not wish to infringe an established rule. At length, unable to bear this privation, to which he had voluntarily subjected himself, the holy servant yielded up his spirit to the Maker of all things, having sunk on the ground exhausted and lifeless. He was buried at the cross, which had been erected before the newly-built Cathedral Church of Armagh; and, on being consigned to the tomb, in this consecrated spot of ground, much as he no doubt lamented the circumstances attending this death, the Irish Apostle felt gratified, that the body of a saint should repose in his graveyard, as the first fruits of deposition. He is even said to have prophesied, that the church, which was consecrated by such a happy sepulture, should afterwards be prosperous, and should abound in riches and honours. St. Patrick, also, saw the soul of his departed brother ascend to heaven, where it found rest, in company with the martyrs.

    The 5th of March was the Natal day of a St. Colman—probably the present—according to our Irish Martyrologies. At this dale, the Martyrology of Tallagh records a festival in honour of Colman, designated Isirni. Marianus O’Gorman and Charles Maguire record him; but, they neither add time, place, or other circumstances, to identify him. The name of a Saint Colman has been omitted from the published Martyrology of Donegal, at this day; but, the simple name, Colman, has been inserted by the compiler of a table subjoined, with the remark appended, that he had not been noticed in the body of this work. About the year 445 must have been the period for his death, were we to credit Ussher’s statement, that at this date, the foundations of Armagh church were laid. The O’Clerys, however, refer this event, to the year 457. As many bodies, no doubt, were early interred within the cemetery of Armagh, and as Saint Colman’s remains were the first therein deposited, we may probably refer his death and burial, to that very year, in which the church foundations had been laid.

    His cognomen of the Thirsty was obtained, not from his being often obliged to satisfy such a distressing want of nature; but, owing to that heroic yet misconceived resolution, whereby he overcome natural requirements, even at the sacrifice of his own life. What an example of abstemiousness ought not this be for many unhappy drunkards, who end their days prematurely, when indulging in habits of intoxication, and in the frequent use of spirituous liquors. That wholesome beverage, pure water, is abundant, especially in “Erinn of the streams,” and it, at least, can be obtained free from charge or hindrance. It usually promotes health, and it can hardly be used to excess by any of our people, while it never can deprive them of reason or sense.

    Notwithstanding his exemption from rule, for grave moral and physical reasons, yet, it is to be lamented, that a conscientious and good man, in the present instance, mistook the nature of his engagements, when by a moderate draught of this pure element, he might have saved a valuable and an exemplary life.

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  • Saint Muicin of Moyne, March 4

    March 4 is the commemoration of Saint Muicin of Moyne.  The 17th-century hagiologist, Father John Colgan, was convinced that Saint Muicin of Moyne was a disciple of Saint Patrick. This view, however, was not without its own difficulties, as Canon O’Hanlon explains:

    ST. MUKNA, MUICIN, OR MUKINUS, BISHOP OF MAIGHIN, OR MOYNE, COUNTY OF MAYO.

    Colgan and the Bollandists have some notices of this saint, at the 4th day of March… There is no account, regarding the time, in which St. Mucna or Muckin, of Magin, in Tyrawly, lived. Although we find him classed, by Colgan, among St. Patrick’s disciples; still, there is not the least foundation for an assertion, that he was made bishop, by our Irish Apostle. This may be gleaned from all omission in the Tripartite—the only authority cited for this occasion—which only makes mention of Muckna, not as having been placed by St. Patrick, a bishop, over Domnach-mor church, in Tyrawly, but, rather as having been buried, in that place. It has been identified with Moyne, in the parish of Killala, barony of Tirawley, and county of Mayo. The foundation of a church is supposed to have been laid there, about A.D. 440, when the Apostle prosecuted his successful mission, in that western district. It seems, Colgan adopted an opinion, that Muckna ruled over this church as a bishop, but, without any sufficient foundation for referring it to St. Patrick’s time; and, then finding himself puzzled about the period when this supposed disciple lived, he threw out a conjecture, that such appointment took place, A.D. 470. He assigns as a reason for this conjecture, that the Tripartite seems to indicate, by the term “est,” that Muckna was alive, about the year 520; for, this has been very uncritically considered, as the period when the Tripartite Life had been written. Yet, nothing is more common in some of St. Patrick’s Lives than to use est for requiescit; so that, the meaning of the passage now quoted may be, that Mucna’s remains were at Domnach-mor; still, at what time they were deposited there, we have no means left for discovering. Apparently, for no more sufficient reason, than not to make Mucna live too long, Colgan affixed this appointment as bishop there, to the year 470, so that he might probably be living, about A.D. 520. An entry appears, in the Martyrology of Tallagh, at the 4th of March, which thus reads: “Mucini Maighni.” Marianus O’Gorman, also, commemorates him. In the Manuscript of Florarius, we find an entry of Mokinus, Abbas, at the same date. According to the Martyrology of Donegal, we read, about Muicin, of Maighin, as having a festival on this day.

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