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Category: Saints of Cork

  • Saint Finbarr of Cork, September 25

     

    September 25 is the feast day of Saint Finbarr (Findbarre, Barrind, Barra, Bairre, Barry) of Cork. He is a saint who can be said to typify the differences in approach between today’s hagiological scholars and those of the past. Some modern scholars are working on the assumption that Finbarr of Cork is not a distinct individual, but rather a manifestation of the cult of the Briton, Uinnau or Ninian, who was also remembered as Finnian of Clonard and Finnian of Moville. Professor Pádraig Ó Riain edited the scholarly edition of the Life of Saint Finbarr, the Beatha Bharra, and also wrote an accompanying subsidiary publication ‘The Making of a Saint: Finbarr of Cork 600-1200’. Here is a summary:

    Beginning with an account of the spread of the cult of St Finbarr countrywide from its probable place of origin in the North of Ireland, the author traces the history of the church and diocese of Cork down to about 1200, when the local bishop commissioned the earliest known Life of the saint. The historical circumstances that gave rise to the production of this Life, and of those that followed it, are then discussed in detail. Although spurious in almost every respect, the veracity of the biography composed for the saint remained in the main unchallenged until Professor Ó Riain reexamined it.

    No such doubts, of course, were entertained about the identity of Saint Finbarr by previous generations and below is a 19th-century account of the saint which presents what was traditionally believed about him. The writer is Bishop (later Cardinal) P.F. Moran, who edited a revised version of the eighteenth-century clergyman antiquary Mervyn Archdall’s classic text Monasticon Hibernicum. Bishop Moran added copious notes to expand the original entries, and the new publication was serialized in the Irish Ecclesiastical Record, from which the following has been extracted:

    St Finbarr

    The site of the present city of Cork was, in the beginning of the sixth century, a low, marshy tract, through the centre of which flowed the waters of the Lee. When this river overflowed its banks the whole country presented the appearance of an immense lake, which was called in those early times Lough Eirce.

    It was at the source of the river Lee, near Lough Allua, that St. Finbarr erected his first cell; and to the present day that district, now situated in the parish of Inchigeelagh, recalls his memory in the classic name of “Gougane Barra” which means “the lonely retreat of St. Finbarr.” Thence, however, he soon removed to the banks of Lough Eirce, and erected there his chief school and monastery, which became so illustrious for its learning and sanctity, that innumerable students and pilgrims flocked to it from every part of our island. “Here in this solitude the saint laid the foundation of his monastic establishment: it grew rapidly, became a crowded city, a school for learning, a college for religion, a receptacle for holy men, a sanctuary for the oppressed, an asylum for the poor, an hospital for the sick.” (Halls Ireland, ii., 214.)

    From the peculiarity of the site chosen for the monastery, the city received its name of Corcach Bascain, or simply Corcach, that is, ‘a marsh.’

    Colgan has given a short account of this famous school, and preserved the names of some of the most illustrious saints who flourished there: “After these things, St. Barra came to a place which in the Irish language is called Loch-Erce, near which he constructed a monastery, to which, as to the abode of wisdom, and sanctuary of all Christian virtues, disciples flowed in crowds from every quarter in so great numbers, through zeal of holiness, that, from the multitude of the monks and cells, it changed that desert, as it were, into a large city: for from that school which he instituted there, numerous men came, remarkable for holiness of life and the praise of learning, amongst whom were conspicuous St. Eulangius or Eulogius, the instructor of St. Barra himself, St. Colman, of Dore Dhunchon, St. Bathinus, St. Nessan, St. Garbhan, son of Findbarr, St. Talmach, St. Finchad of Rossailithir, St. Lucerus, St. Cumanus, St. Lochinus of Achadh-airaird, St. Carinus, St. Fintanus of Ros-coerach, St. Euhel de Roscoerach, St. Trellanus of Druimdraighniche, St. Coelchuo, St. Mogenna, St. Modimochus, St. Sanctanus, and St. Lugerius, son of Columb. All these, and many others that came from that very celebrated school, by the merits of holiness and virtue, constructed cells in different places, and consecrated themselves and all these to St. Barra, their father and master, and his successors.” (Acta Sanctorum, p. 607.)

    The name of St. Findbarr holds a prominent place in the early history of the Irish Church. St. Cuimin of Connor, in his poem on the characteristic virtues of our saints, writes:

    “Fin-Barr, the torch of wisdom, loved
    Humility towards all men;
    He never saw in pressing distress
    Any one whom he would not relieve, ”

    To the ancient list of Irish saints, which illustrates their lives by comparison with the saints of other nations, St. Finbarr, who is styled “Bishop of Minister and Connaught,” is placed in parallel with St. Augustine, the apostle of England.

    (Liber Hymnorum, I.A.S., p. 70. )

    The martyrology of Donegal marks St. Bairre’s festival on the 25th of September. The martyrology of Tallaght on that day gives the feast of Barrind Corcaige, but adds, on the 26th of September vel hic. Barrind Corcaighe. In the famous Catalogue of the Three Orders of Irish Saints, published by Fleming and Usher, the name of S. Barrindeus appears among the saints of the second order. Marianus O’Gorman, in his metrical martyrology, prays:

    “May the noble Baire from Corcach
    Be before me to the great land,
    For he is blooming-sweet to the poor.”

    St. Oengus, in his Felire, also commemorates on the 25th of September :

    “The solemnity of the beloved man,
    The festival of Bairre from Corcach.”

    And the note is added in the Leabhar Breac: “This is the festival of Bairre from Corcach : he was of the race of Brian, son of Eochaidh Muidhmhedhoinn, and it is in Achadh Cill-Clochair, or Drochait, in Aird-Uladh on this day with Bairre.” There is evidently an omission in this note, which is thus supplied in the Roman MS. of the felire : “Of the race of Brian Mac Eochaidh M. was Bairre of Corcach, and it is in Achadh Cill-Clochair. or at Drochait in Aird-Uladh, that his festival is kept ; or it is the feast of Iomchadh that is kept in Cill-Clochair at Ard-Uladh on this day with Bairre.”

    Two ancient Latin lives of St. Finbarr were published by Mr. Caulfield in 1864. In the Irish life preserved in the Brussels MSS. the virtues of the saint are thus compendiated : “His humility, his piety, his charity, his abstinence, his prayers by day and by night, won him great privileges : for he was godlike and pure of heart and mind, like Abraham ; mild and well-doing, like Moyses; a psalmist, like David ; wise, like Solomon; firm in the faith, like Peter; devoted to the truth, like Paul the Apostle; and full of the Holy Spirit, like John the Baptist. He was a lion of strength, and an orchard full of apples of sweetness, When the time of his death arrived, after erecting churches and monasteries to God, and appointing over them bishops, priests, and other degrees, and baptising and blessing districts and people, Barra went to Kill na-Cluana (i.e. Cloyne), and with him went Fiana, at the desire of Cormac and Baoithin, where they consecrated two churches. Then he said, ‘ It is time for me to quit this corporeal prison, and to go to the heavenly King who is now calling me to Himself.’ And then Barra was confessed, and received the Holy Sacrament from the hand of Fiana, and his soul went to heaven, at the cross which is in the middle of the Church of Cloyne; and there came bishops, priests, monks, and disciples, on his death being reported, to honour him. And they took him to Cork, the place of his resurrection, honouring him with psalms and hymns and spiritual songs; and the angels bore his soul with joy unspeakable to heaven, to the company of the patriarchs, prophets, apostles, and disciples of Jesus Christ, and of the Holy Trinity, the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost.”

    We will not attempt to give in detail any sketch of the life of this great saint. A few facts will suffice for our present purpose: “This most holy and elect of God, and most worthy priest, Barr (it is thus his ancient Latin life begins), was born of the sept called Ibruin-Ratha, of Connaught, whose territory in after times became the Diocese of Enaghdune.” He had for his master a religious named Corporius, styled in our Irish calendars Mac-Cuirp, who himself had been trained to piety in Rome, in the monastery of St. Gregory the Great. St. Finbarr was remarkable for miracles from his infancy; and it is recorded in his life that, in company with SS. Colgu, Maedhoc, and David, and twelve religious of his own monastery, he made a pilgrimage to Rome. St, Gregory the Great predicted his promotion to the episcopate, which was fulfilled on his return to Ireland; and at the same time a fountain of oil, symbolical of the abundance of graces with which his ministry should enrich our Church, sprung forth in that spot, “close to the altar, where a cross was in after times erected, and where the saint’s remains were also for a time deposited.” (Lynch’s MS. Hist.)

    Having governed his monastery and see for seventeen years, St. Finbarr was summoned to his heavenly reward, and the 25th of September is marked in all the ancient calendars for his festival. It was at the monastery of Cloyne, fifteen miles from Cork, that St. Finbarr rested in peace; but his remains were translated to his own great monastery, and being deposited for a while beneath the monumental cross at his cathedral church, they were subsequently encased in a silver shrine, and exposed to the veneration of the faithful. They were thus preserved till the year 1089, when, as the Annals of Innisfallen relate, “A fleet, with Dermot O’Brien, devastated Cork, and carried away the relics of Barre from Cill-na-Clerich.”

    St. Nessan, the immediate successor of St. Finbarr, was also renowned for his sanctity: he died in the year 551. So numerous were the holy men who flourished here, or wished their remains to be interred in the great Sanctuary of Lough-Eirce, that St. Oengus, about the year 800, writes:

    “Seventeen holy bishops, and seven hundred favoured servants of God, who rest in Cork with Barri and Nessan, whose names are written in the heavens all these I invoke unto my aid, through Jesus Christ.” And again, he invokes all the saints who, by their prayers and penitential deeds, had sanctified that district: “Three hundred and fifty holy bishops, three hundred and fifty priests, three hundred and fifty deacons, three hundred and fifty exorcists, three hundred and fifty lectors, three hundred and fifty ostiarii, and all the saints, with the blessing of God, in Loch Eirchi, in the territory of Muscraighe and Hy-Eachach Cruadha, as is said :

    “The protection of Loch Irchi,
    In which is a sweet-toned bell:
    Numerous as leaves upon trees,
    Are the saints who around it dwell.
    “All these I invoke to my aid, through Jesus Christ.” – (Irish Ecelesiastical Record, vol. iii., p. 391.)

    Among the sacred treasures of Cork was preserved a copy of the Gospels, transcribed by St. Finbarr, and encased in a precious shrine: ” Evangelium sacris Sancti Barrii digitis exscriptum librum gemmis auroque ornatum. ” (Lynch’s MS.)

    Towards the close of the 10th century, Columb Mac Kieregan sent this relic, borne by two priests, as a protection to Mahoun Mac Kennedy, King of Munster. It was brought back stained with that prince’s blood, and our annalists relate that Bishop Cormac, raising his hands to heaven, uttered a prophecy (inserted in the ‘ Wars of the Danes,’ p. 93,) in which, execrating the dread sacrilege which had been perpetrated, he prophetically foretold the future fate of the murderers….

    MONASTICON HIBERNICUM, OR, A SHORT ACCOUNT OF THE ANCIENT MONASTERIES OF IRELAND.

    Irish Ecclesiastical Record, Vol VII, 1871, 184-186

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

  • Saint Sciath of Ardskeagh, September 6

     

    There are a number of interesting saints commemorated on September 6, but below is an account of a lesser-known Irish female saint, Sciath of Ardskeagh, taken from Volume 9 of The Lives of the Irish Saints:

    St. Sciath, Virgin, of Fert-Sceithe, now Ardskeagh, in Muskerry of the Three Plains, County of Cork.

    Veneration was given, at the 6th of September, according to the Manuscript copy, as also in the published Martyrology of Tallagh, to Scieth of Fiort Sceith, in Muscraithe tre Maighi. Immediately afterwards is mentioned, The Arrival of the Relics of Scethi, daughter of Mechi, at Tamlachta, or Tallagh. Although in a separate line, we can hardly believe it is intended to commemorate a different feast from the former celebration. The festival of Sciath is to be found in the Feilire of St. Oengus, at the 6th of September. Already we have noticed a feast for this holy virgin, at the 1st of January.

    She descended from the race of Conaire, monarch of Erinn, who sprung from the seed of Heremon. Eilhue, daughter of Concraidh, was her mother, according to the O’Clerys. The Muscraighe Tri Maighe, or Muskerry of the Three Plains, in which the saint’s place was situated, had been regarded as the territory of the O’ Donnegan’s. The Church of Fiort Sceithe, which is placed by the Calendars of Marianus and the O’Clerys at September 6th, in Muscraighetri-maighe, is known at present by the name of Ardskeagh. This is a small parish, in that part of the barony of Fermoy, bordering on the baronies of Orrery and Kilmore. In the ancient taxation of the diocese of Cloyne, there is a rural deanery, called Muscry-donnegan. It contains the parishes now comprehended in the baronies of Orrery and Kilmore, with small adjacent portions of Duhallow and Fermoy. Among the Churches in this deanery, Orwerg, (i.e. Orbraidhe or Orrery) and Fersketh, (i.e. Feart Skeithe,) called Ardskagh are two. This latter is now known as Ardskeagh. Thus, the identity of Muscraighe-tri-maighe and the barony of Orrery is proved to a demonstration. Ardskeagh is now a parish, in the barony of Condons and Clongibbons, in the County of Cork. This Parish, also called Ardskreagh, is separated from the main body of the barony in which it is included, by the intervention of the northern part of the barony of Fermoy. Some remains of its old Church yet exist in the burial ground. In the Martyrology of Donegal, at this same date, the patroness is recorded as Sciath, Virgin, of Fert Sceithe, in Museraighe of the Three Plains, in Munster. This saint was venerated, likewise, in Scotland, and at the 6th of September, she is entered as Scetthe, in the Calendar of Drummond.

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

  • Saint Fachtna of Ross, August 14

    August 14 is the feast of Saint Fachtna, diocesan patron of Ross, today part of the united diocese of Cork and Ross. The account below has been excerpted from the updated edition of the eighteenth-century writer Protestant Mervyn Archdall’s classic text Monasticon Hibernicum. The editor was the then Catholic Bishop of Ossory, the Rt. Rev. P.F. Moran, later Cardinal Archbishop of Sydney, who contributed copious notes to expand Archdall’s original entries:

    St. Fachnan, in Irish Fachtna, who is also called Lachtna, is patron of the See, being founder of the monastery, and Bishop of Ross in the sixth century. He was a disciple of St. Finbarr in the famous school of Loch-Eirche, and before proceeding to Ross, was abbot of the Molana monastery, near Youghal. He also, like most of the contemporary saints of Ireland, received lessons of heavenly wisdom from St. Ita, the Brigid of Munster. Ross soon became so famous that crowds of students and religious flocked to it from all parts, so that it was distinguished by the name of Ross-ailithir, that is, Ross of the pilgrims. The birth of St. Fachnan, and the future greatness of his school, were foretold by St. Kiaran of Ossory, whose mother was of his family, and who himself was born in the territory of Ross, at a place still called Traigh-Ciaran (i.e., St. Kiaran’s strand), in Cape Clear Island. St. Fachnan, having lost his sight by some accident when he was somewhat advanced in years, it was restored to him through the merits of St. Mochoemog, also called Pulcherius, who was then in his mother’s womb, and whose future sanctity was foretold by St. Fachnan. It is also related of our saint that it was his daily habit to retire for silent recollection and private prayer to a secluded spot on the side of a hill, near the monastery. It happened that one day he left his scroll of prayers behind him. Rain fell heavily during the night, but in the morning his prayer-book was as dry as Gideon’s fleece, for the angels had built a small chapel over it. The traces of this ancient oratory may still be seen. The precise date of the foundation of the celebrated monastery of Ross cannot be fixed with certainty. Ware says it was founded about the year 590, and his opinion has been adopted by later writers. It would, probably, be more accurate to place the foundation of the monastery before the year 570, and the death of the saint about the year 590. The Life of St. Mochaemog states, that it was by the advice of St. Ita that St. Fachtna proceeded from the monastery of Ross to the parents of Mochaemog, through whose merits his sight was restored to him. St. Brendan, patron of Kerry, is also mentioned among those who visited and gave lessons of heavenly wisdom in Ross. These two facts sufficiently prove that the monastery was established before the death of St. Brendan, which took place in 577, and of St. Ita, which is marked in our Annals in 570.

    In some Latin documents our saint receives the epithet “Fachtna facundus, “St. Fachtna the eloquent:” sometimes his name is simply Latinized Sanctus Facundus.

    In the Irish records he generally receives the designation of Mac Mongach, i.e., ” the hairy child,” because at his birth his head was covered with hair : “Fachtna, Mongach quia cumcaesarie natus,” as the Calendar of Cashel explains that name. This designation betrayed Usher and others into error when they style our saint filius Monghich, “the son of Mongach.” The genealogy of St. Fachtna is thus accurately given in the ‘ Sanctilogium Genealogicum” : ” Fachtna, the son of Maonaigh, the son of Cairill, the son of Fiachna, &c., descended from Lughad, son of Ith,” and from the genealogical tables, we should conclude that the holy Bishop Brandubh, whose feast is kept on the 3rd of June, and Saints Casan and Cailcin, were brothers of our saint. The O’Driscolls, in whose territory Ross was founded, belonged to the same race, and made it one of their tribe-duties to enrich the monastery and church of their patron saint with lands and other endowments. After St. Fachnan twenty-seven bishops of his tribe ruled the See of Ross, as is thus expressed in the ancient quatrain preserved in the Book of Lecan :

    ” Seven and twenty bishops nobly
    Occupied Ross of the truly fertile lands,
    From Fachtna the melodious, the renowned,
    To the well-ordered Episcopate of Dongalach.”

    The names of these bishops are not mentioned in our annals, only their number is recorded, and their jurisdiction, which was co-extensive with the territory of Corcalaidhe. This example should serve as a warning to the student of our Ecclesiastical History not to infer from the silence of our annals in regard to other districts, either that there was no regular succession of bishops or that there were no fixed boundaries for the ancient Sees of the Irish Church.

    St. Fachtna is commemorated in all our ancient Martyrologies on the 14th of August. The entry in the Martyrology of Donegal on 14th August seems, however, at first sight to exclude St. Fachtna from the See of Ross. The whole entry for that day is as follows: “Fachtna, Bishop and Abbot of Dairinis Maelanfaidh, in Hy-Cennselach ; forty-six years was his age, and he was of the race of Lughaidh. son of Ith, according to the Seanchus : Echlech, Cuimmen, and Caemhan, three sons of Daighre : Brocadh : Dinil.” (Martyr, of Donegal, page 219.) Thus all mention is omitted of Rossaihthir. There is, however, some confusion in this entry, owing, probably, to a transposition of names. We are, happily, able to detect the error by the corresponding entry in the Martyrology of Tallaght, as preserved in the Roman fragment of the Book of Leinster, which is as follows : “XIX. Kalendas Septembris. Fachtna mac Mongan o Ros Ailithir : Dinil Macintsair : Mac-intsaeir, Episcopus et Abbas Darinsi Maelianfaid : Broccain Mac Lugdach : Cummini : Coemain : Aicclig.” Thus, it was not St. Fachtna who was Abbot of Darinis Molana in Hy-Kinnselagh, but St. Mac-in-tsaer ; what, possibly, gave occasion to this confusion of names, was the tradition mentioned by Lynch, that St. Fachtna, before proceeding to Ross, was abbot of another monastery called also Molana, situated on the islet of Dair-inis, at the mouth of the Blackwater. See further mention of this monastery in Archdall, at the County Waterford.

    In the Felire of St. Oengus, the name of St. Fachtna occurs in the strophe for the 14th of August :

    ” With the calling of Fortunatus,
    Over the expansive sea of ships,
    Mac-an-tsaer, the noble chief,
    The festival of Fachtna mac Mongach.”

    So also he is commemorated on the same day in the metrical calendar of Manus O’Gorman :

    “Great vigil of Mary :
    Gregory, and the bright hero Felix,
    The just Eusebius in their company:
    The sons of Daigre, with Dinil;

    Let Brocad be in their presence:
    Fachtna the smooth, fair, hairy son,
    Eiclec, Cummen, Coeman,
    Not narrow fences this structure.”

    St. Cuimin of Connor, in his beautiful poem on the characteristic virtues of the saints of Ireland, thus celebrates the zeal and devotedness of St. Fachtna:

    “Fachtna, the generous and steadfast, loved
    To instruct the crowds in concert,
    He never spoke that which was mean,
    Nor aught but what was pleasing to his Lord.”

    It is generally supposed that the St. Fachnan, patron of Ross, is the same with St. Fachnan, patron of Kilfenora. Two circumstances strongly confirm this identity, viz. : that their festivals are now kept on the same day, the 14th of August, and that the same tribe was dominant in both territories. However, Lynch informs us that in his time (1660) the feast of St. Fachtna, the holy founder of Kilfenora, was kept on the 20th of December.

    Monasticon Hibernicum, or, A Short Account of the Monasteries of Ireland in Irish Ecclesiastical Record, Vol VII,1871, 485-488.

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