OMNIUM SANCTORUM HIBERNIAE

Category: Irish Saints

  • Saint Berach of Kilbarry, February 15

    Today sees the commemoration of the patron of Kilbarry, County Roscommon, Saint Berach (Berachius, Barry). A number of Lives of this saint have survived and they show him to have been a disciple of Saint Kevin of Glendalough. His first teacher was Saint Daigh (Dageus) of Iniscaoin, County Louth, and it was while a student there that Saint Berach worked one of his most famous miracles, as recorded by the Martyrology of Donegal:

    15. D. QUINTO DECIMO KAL. MARTII. 15.

    BERACH, Abbot, of Cluain Coirpthe in Connachta. He was of the race of Dobhtha, who is of the posterity of Brian, son of Eochaidh Muighmhedhoin ; and Fionmaith, sister of Cruimhther Fraech of Cluain Conmaicne, in Muinter-Eolais, was his mother.
    When he was a disciple to Bishop Daigh, son of Cairell, Daigh sent him to a certain mill in Magh Muirtheimhne with a sack of wheat to grind it, and he found a woman and a boy of the people of the territory before him at the mill, they having with them a sack of oats to grind it; and Berach asked of them their turn of the mill, but they did not give it to him, and they put together the oats and the wheat into the mill, and a division was made between them in the mill through the miracles of God and of Berach, so that the wheat was on one side and the oats on the other side without the admixture of the meal of the one with that of the other, as is evident in his life, in which many miracles and signs are read of.

    The Life of Saint Berach records that after this miracle, Bishop Daigh felt that his pupil should move on to greater things and sent him to Saint Kevin at Glendalough. He first though equipped the young Berach with his famous relics – first, the Clog-Beraigh or the bell of Berach and secondly, his staff or bachull called the bachull-ghear, the ‘short staff’.

    He spent seven years at Glendalough at the end of which Saint Kevin took Saint Berach to Bishop Etchen for ordination. Afterwards Saint Berach had a vision that he was to leave the monastery of Saint Kevin and follow a deer which would lead him to the site where he was to found his own hermitage. The site has been claimed as both Disert Beraigh, or Berach’s Desert, now Dubberaith, in Bregia, East Meath and as Kilbarrach, “the church of Berach” in County Roscommon. His Life also records that Saint Berach ministered in Scotland.

    His feast is well-attested on the Irish calendars, as Canon O’Hanlon summarizes:

    The simple entry, Berach, Cluana Cairpthi, occurs, in the Martyrology of Tallagh at the 15th of February. We are told, that St. Oengus styles him ” the tutelary Berach.” The Calendar of Cashel, and Marianus O’Gorman call him Berach, of Cluain Coirpthe, in Connaught, and they give his genealogy in full. This saint is also called Beri, and he is regarded as a bishop, in a more modern insertion of his feast, which was celebrated with an office of nine lessons. This we find, in that Calendar, prefixed to the ancient Martyrology of the Cathedral Church of the Holy Trinity, Dublin at the XV. of the Kalends of March. All notice of him, however, is omitted from that Martyrology. Cathal Maguire has not forgotten to state his family descent, and to characterize his place Cluain-coirpthe, as being in the desert of Cinel-Dobtha, in Connaught. He was also venerated in other countries besides Ireland. In the Kalendar of Drummond, at the 15th of February, in Hibernia, the festival of St. Beraig, confessor, is noted. On the 15th of February is registered, in the Martyrology of Donegal, Berach, Abbot, of Cluain Coirpthe, in Connaught. In the table, postfixed to this Calendar, his name is Latinized, Barrachias.

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  • Saint Manchan of Mohill, February 14

    Today some of the Irish calendars commemorate a Saint Manchan of Mohill, County Leitrim, but not much more is known of the saint. The Martyrology of Oengus does not mention him and the Martyrology of Donegal entry simply records his name and location:
    14. C. SEXTO DECIMO KAL. MARTII.
    14.MAINCHEIN, of Moethail.
    The translator adds a footnote that companions of the saint are also mentioned in some of the manuscripts of other Martyrologies:
    Moethail. The more recent hand adds, “Cum sociis” Mart. Tumi. But the Brussels MS. of the Mart Taml. reads “Cum sociis suis.” (T.)
    Due to the lack of further information and the existence of a number of saints with the name of Manchan, some confusion has arisen as to the exact identity of the saint associated with Mohill. The 16th-century Archbishop Ussher claimed to have a Life of this Saint Manchan written by Richard Fitz-Ralph, Archbishop of Armagh (1347-60). It depicted Saint Manchan as having charge of seven churches and as having been the founder of the monastery of Canons Regular of Saint Augustine at Mohill. He was said to have converted many people in different localities to Christ. However, as the order of Canons Regular were a product of the 12th-century reform of the Irish Church, Fitz-Ralph is reflecting the realities of the later medieval period, rather than that of a supposedly 7th-century Saint Manchan. Canon O’Hanlon records in a footnote that when John O’Donovan attempted to trace Ussher’s copy of the Fitz-Ralph Life, it could not be found. Ussher himself seems to have concluded that Saint Manchan of Mohill was identical with Manchan of Menodroichit, whose feastday is commemorated on 2nd January and whose death is recorded in the Annals of Ulster at 652. Father John Colgan, however, did not share this opinion, as he was unable to prove that Manchan of Mohill, County Leitrim had also been abbot of Menodroichit, County Laois. He remained convinced that Saint Manchan of Mohill was a separate individual and that the references to ‘his companions’ in the calendars were to the seven churches for which he was responsible.A reference in the Annals of the Four Masters led Canon O’Hanlon to speculate that perhaps Saint Manchan of Mohill may be Saint Manchan of Lemanaghan whose feast day is celebrated on 24th January. The Annals record:AD 1166: The shrine of Manchan, of Maethail, was covered by Ruaidhri Ua Conchobhair, and an embroidering of gold was carried over it by him, in as good a style as a relic was ever covered in Ireland.O’Hanlon wondered if this was a reference to the famous shrine of Lemanaghan, although again he could not explain the link to two different localities and to two separate feast days, if Manchan of Mohill is the same person as Manchan of Lemanaghan.

    There is also a reference to Saint Manchan of Mohill in the Annals of Tigernach recording an even earlier date for the repose of our saint:

    538AD: Manchan Maethla cecídit  Manchan of Mohill dies.

    and finally, O’Hanlon records that ‘At Inisnag, diocese of Ossory, St. Manchan, whose feast occurs on the 14th of February, was venerated as a patron’.

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  • Saint Modomnoc, February 13

     

    Saint Modomnoc (Domnoc, Dominic,) commemorated on February 13, was a student of the monastic life under the patron of Wales, Saint David of Menevia. Most of the information recorded about Saint Modomnoc comes from the Life of Saint David. He does, however, also appear on the Irish calendars. The Martyrology of Oengus records:

    B. Idibus Febr.

    13. In a little boat, from the east, over the pure-coloured sea, my Domnoc brought vigorous cry! the gifted race of Ireland’s bees.

    and the Martyrology of Donegal:

    13. B. IDIBUS FEBRUARII. 13.

    MODHOMHNOG, of Tioprat Fachtna, in the [south] west of Osraighe. He was of the race of Eoghan, son of Niall.

    The curious reference in the Martyrology of Oengus to the ‘race of bees’ is explained by a story in the Life of Saint David:

    43. After that the aforesaid Modomnoc had devoted himself for a long lapse of years to the humility of obedience, his virtuous merits increasing, he sought the island of Ireland. The whole multitude of bees followed the ship which he had entered and settled with him in the ship, where he had sat down, on the ship’s prow. For as he attended on the bees’ quarters, he paid heed with the rest of the work of the brotherhood to the hives in rearing the young of the swarms, whereby he might procure some luxuries of sweeter food for those in need. He, loath to defraud the fraternal community, returned, re-appearing in the presence of the holy father, and attended by the swarm of bees, which flew to their own quarters. David blessed him for his humility. Then bidding farewell to the father and brethren, and being saluted, he went away, but again the bees follow him. And it so happened that, whenever he started forth, they also followed. Again, a third time, he sailed for a while, and it happened as before. The swarms followed him, and he returned to David thrice. On the third occasion holy David dismissed Modomnoc to sail with the bees, and he blessed them, saying, ” May the land to which ye hasten abound with your offspring. Never may your progeny be wanting in it. Our monastery will be deserted for ever by you. Never shall your offspring grow up in it.” That this has continued till now we have learnt by experience, for we find swarms imported into the monastery of this father, but they, remaining there a little while, gradually cease. Ireland, however, wherein never could bees exist till that time, is enriched with abundance of honey. And so by the blessing of the holy father they have multiplied in the island of Ireland, since it is agreed that they could by no means exist there at first, for if you should cast Irish earth or stone in the midst of bees, they would shun it greatly, being scattered and flying away.

    This story of Saint Modomnoc being responsible for the introduction of bees to Ireland is one which seems to have captured the imagination of various writers at different times. The 3rd-century author, Gaius Julius Solinus, appears to be the source of the idea that Ireland and its very earth were inimical to bees:

    ‘There is no snake there; few birds; no bee; so that if any one should scatter dust or pebbles brought from thence among the hives [in other countries] the bees would desert their combs’.

    This tale was still being told at the time of the 17th-century hagiologist Father John Colgan, who would have none of it. For him the story that Ireland had no bees before Saint Modomnoc introduced them was easily refuted:

    ‘for Bede states, in his Ecclesiastical History, lib.1, c.i, that ‘the island was rich in milk and honey..’ … But that bees and honey had existed in Ireland before this Dominic was born, is evident from the irrefragable testimony of the rule of St Albeus [Ailbe] in which (No. 37) we read:- ‘When they [the monks] sit down at table, let their be brought herbs or roots washed with water, in clean baskets, also apples, beer and honey from the hive, the breadth of an inch, i.e. so much of honey-combs’.

    Colgan sought a more rational explanation:

    ‘Therefore, against the authority of St. Aengus and others who assert positively that St. Dominicus [Modomnoc] was the first who brought bees into Ireland, it is to be remarked that this should be understood only of a certain species of bees; for there are in Ireland domestic or hive bees, and wild bees, and bees of different kinds and colours. St Dominic appears to have introduced the first hive bees into Ireland, from whose seed the domestic bees have been disseminated in that country.’

    quoted in John O’Donovan, ‘Pre-Christian Notices of Ireland’ in Ulster Journal of Archaeology, Vol. 8 (1860), 250.
    Wade-Evans, the translator of the Life of Saint David, speculates that the Welsh saint’s dismissal of the bees may be explained by his opposition to the brewing of mead for monastic consumption.
    Whatever the truth, Saint Modomnoc after his return to Ireland settled at Tiprad-Fachtna in County Kilkenney. He is also associated with a church called Lan Beachaire, ‘the Church of the Bee-Keeper,’ now Bremore, near Dublin. Canon O’Hanlon summarizes the evidence for his festival.
    ‘At Tibberaghny, his feast was chiefly celebrated, and of that place, he appears to have been the chief patron. His natalis, or departure from this life, is celebrated on the 13th day of February, according to Maguire and other writers. Another festival is kept in his honour, however, on the 18th day of May, according to the same authorities. The year of his death is not known; but, he flourished, about the middle of the sixth century.

    At the 13th of February, St. Oengus, in his Feilire, commemorates not only St. Modomnoc, but also the account of his having introduced bees into Ireland. The Calendar of Cashel, the Martyrology of Tallaght, Marianus O’Gorman, Cathal Maguire, and the Martyrology of Donegal, agree. In the Circle of the Seasons, he is commemorated, as a bishop and confessor. In Scotland, his memorial was kept. At the Ides, or 13th of February, the festival of St. Modomnoc, confessor in Hibernia, is set down in the Kalendar of Drummond. This is also stated to be the date for his departure to Christ.’

    The Life of Saint David also records that thanks to a miracle of the Welsh master, his pupil Modomnoc was saved from a premature departure to Christ:

    41. Modomnoc by name, was excavating a road with the brethren on the steep near the confines of the monastery, whereby an easier access might be made for wayfarers to convey their burdens of necessities. He said to one of those who were working, “Why dost thou work so lazily and so slowly?” The man, stirred by the spirit of anger against him who said the words, lifted up the iron which he held in his hand, to wit, a two-edged axe, and attempted to strike him on the head. The holy father, David, saw this from a distance, and raised his hand towards them, making the sign of the cross; and so the hand of him striking was withered.

     

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