OMNIUM SANCTORUM HIBERNIAE

Tag: Saints of Down

  • Saint Cennfaoladh of Bangor, April 8

    On April 8 we commemorate one of the abbots of Bangor, Saint Cennfaoladh. It seems from Canon O’Hanlon’s account below that the site of Saint Comgall’s famous monastery was one of those visited in person by him as part of his research:

    ST. CENNFAOLADH, ABBOT OF BANGOR, COUNTY OF DOWN.

    [SEVENTH AND EIGHTH CENTURIES.]

    A MAN, who rendered essential service to the cause of religion, humanity, and civilization, deserves to be a beloved and respected historic celebrity. The present holy Abbot had a sensitive and chivalrous feeling, which urged him to labour for the correction of a great social evil, and for the emancipation of women, from a state of degradation, by no means creditable to the customs or policy of past times. In the “Feilire” of St. Aengus, his festival was commemorated, at the 8th of April. We find Cendfaoladh, Abbot of Bennchair, at the record, concerning him, in the Martyrology of Tallagh, on this date. From the same source, and at the same day, the Bollandists set down, Kinfseladius, Abbas Benchorensis. St. Cennfaoladh was the grandson to Aedh Breac, according to the Annals of Ulster, and those of the Four Masters. He became Abbot of Bangor, in the county of Down, most probably soon after the death of Cronan Slacu Caulne, whose departure is variedly placed, at A.D. 686, 688, and 690. However, it has been stated, on the authority of Fleming, that St. Kennfaelus was Abbot here, so early as A.D. 678. The place was called Great Bangor, by which the early Irish Annalists distinguished it from Bangor of the Britons, in Wales. It has been stated, that on the present site of the English church, stood the ancient one of Beanchuir, or Bangor. This, however, seems to me an inexact location, nor does it accord with the tradition of the inhabitants. The situation of the old monastery was undoubtedly within a vale, on either side of which two gentle eminences or ridges of land are to be seen.

    And its locality well deserved the title of the Vale of Angels — which according to the old narrative it formerly bore — as well on account of its beautiful site, as also for the reason, that a numerous band of holy men sung the praises of the Almighty, on the spot, and for a long lapse of ages. In the beginning of the last century, Bishop De Burgo saw some ruins of Bangor monastery. Immediately adjoining the church, the ruined walls of an old building are even yet shown; and they lie, partly within the garden of the Rectory, or Glebe House, and partly facing the ornamental grounds of Bangor Castle, within the demesne enclosure, and not far from its entrance gate. Those ruins are situated, about one-half statute mile, from the waters of Bangor Bay. They are partly covered with trees and creeping plants. Although of some extent and height, they appear quite featureless, on the exterior, whence only the writer had been enabled to obtain a view of them. He was informed, by an intelligent inhabitant of Bangor who accompanied him, that the ancient cemetery extended a considerable distance, from these old walls, into the demense, as could be proved, from the quantity of human bones, removed from time to time, by labourers engaged in effecting improvements. He gave me to understand, that local traditions confirmed these disentombed indications of a former burial place; while the same traditions assigned the ancient monastic site to that place, where the present old walls are to be seen.

     
     

    As we learn, from the Life of St. Comgall, Bangor was founded, about the year 558; and, before half a century had passed, it was in such celebrity, that a great number of monks flocked to it. From the earliest period, Bangor had been regarded, as belonging to the civil territory of the Ards. Among the Acts, which reflect such great credit on the memory of our Abbot, the Cain Adamnain states, that this Cennfaeladh was among the saints, who went security for liberating women from military service, from bondage, and from every other kind of slavery. He died, in the early part of the eighth century, on the 8th of April, A.D. 704, according to the Annals of Ulster, and of the Four Masters. According to the Martyrology of Donegal, St. Cennfaelad, Abbot of Bennchair, was venerated on this day. In an Irish Calendar, preserved at the Royal Irish Academy, the same statement is made, but the year given, A.D. 674, seems to be assigned for the date of his death.

    This feast is in the Calendar, compiled by Rev. William Reeves. We find him recorded, in the Scottish Kalendar of Drummond, as a holy confessor, at this date, assigned for his departure to Christ. The life of a true saint should not only be aglow with promise, like the bright mornings of Summer; but, it ought to become still more mellowed and beautiful, like the evening’s setting sun. As the Autumn proves its richness, with the golden sheaves and luscious fruits, so must good works and words ripen into merit, towards the harvest time of a well-spent existence.

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  • Saint Bronagh of Kilbroney, April 2

     

    On April 2 we commemorate a County Down holy woman, Saint Bronagh of Kilbroney, who despite having no surviving written Life or other mention in the historical record, retains the devotion of the Irish people to this day. Her home territory is situated in a beautiful valley near the village of Rostrevor, and the local Catholic parish church preserves a bell associated with the saint, even though it was made some centuries later. This bell was hidden at some point, possibly to preserve it from destruction during the iconoclasm associated with the Protestant reformation, and was rediscovered during the nineteenth century. Canon O’Hanlon does not seem to be aware of the recovery of the bell in his account of the saint, taken from Volume IV of his Lives of the Irish Saints, but does mention another relic, the saint’s bachall, or staff:

    ST. BRONACH, VIRGIN, PATRONESS OF KILBRONY PARISH, COUNTY OF DOWN.

    Time was when the holy virgin, St. Bronach, gave a bright example of faith, and of devotion to her sacred calling, among those majestic mountains of Mourne, that rise within the modem parish of Kilbrony. Her period, however, does not seem to be known. She is called the Virgin of Glen-Seichis, which was an ancient name for the modern parish of Kilbrony, in the county of Down, also bearing the names of Glentegys, Clonfeys, Clonseys, and Kyllbronca, in ancient documents. This parish bears the name of Killowen, in addition to its many other denominations, from a district so called, which lies in its southern part. It is called, likewise, the church of Nister. This parish was merely a mensal one, belonging to the Bishop of Dromore, while we find that the Mc Keon family—and perhaps other families—styled themselves “servants of St. Bronach.” This church was called by the present name of Kilbrony, from Bronach, its patron saint, whose festival is placed by the O’Clerys, at the 2nd of April. In their Calendar, we find: “Bronach a virgin of Glionn-Seichis.”Of this parish, likewise, St. Bronach is the special patroness. She is called, also, Bromana, and her festival belongs to this day. The old church of this parish is situated, about half-a-mile north-east of that beautiful village, known as Rosstrevor, in the county of Down. This church is now a venerable ruin, and in the adjoining chapel-yard an ancient stone cross may be seen. The Kilbrony mensal consisted of certain lands, tithes and dues, which were appendant upon an office, known as that of St. Bromana’s baculus, in the church of St. Bromana, according to old documents. We find the place styled a Rectory and a Vicarage. The custody of a certain relic, said to have been possessed by our saint, and attended with some privileges, had been formerly assigned by the bishop of this diocese to a clerical keeper. In the church of Kilbrony, appears to have been preserved the baculus or crozier of St. Bronach; and, the guardianship of this relic was entrusted to an ecclesiastic, who farmed certain lands, tithes and dues, belonging to the bishop’s mensal in this parish. In a Taxation of all the Benifices in Dromore diocese, which took place in A.D. 1546, the Vicar of Killbronagh, now Kilbrony, was assessed at two marks. In the Martyrology of Tallagh, the patron’s name occurs, at the 2nd of April, as Bronach, Virgin. The Martyrology of Donegal this day registers, Bronach, Virgin, of Cill Sechis, as having a festival. The Rev. Alban Butler has a record of this holy woman, at the 2nd of April, and she is noticed, moreover, in the Circle of the Seasons. Likewise, that Calendar, compiled by the Rev. William Reeves, giving her name, festival and locality, may be mentioned, in this connexion.

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  • Saint Aedhan Laech of Cill-Aedhain, April 1

    A northern saint starts off the month of April, Aedhan Laech. Although we have few details of his life, Canon O’Hanlon believes that scholar John O’Donovan, who published a translation of the Annals of the Four Masters, was correct to identify the place where Saint Aedhan flourished with Tamlacht, County Down and with a site which bears his name, Cill-Aedhain, literally ‘Aidan’s Church’. The Annals record a raid on this site in the 12th century. Even more interesting is the epithet which accompanies Saint Aedhan’s name laech, a Gaelicization of the Latin laicus, a layman. A footnote to Canon O’Hanlon’s text says that O’Reilly’s Irish Dictionary translates this word as a ‘soldier’ or ‘layman’. I will have to search my notebooks to look further into the context for this title as I know that I have somewhere noted the various classes of people associated with monasteries. We do not know when this saint flourished, but his commemoration is recorded in the earliest of the Martyrologies, that of Tallaght, written in the late 8th/early 9th century:
    St. Aedhan Laech, of Cill-Aedhain, probably in The County of Down.
    A saint is, in the highest sense, a true benefactor to the cause of humanity, although we may little discover about the particulars of his life. At this date, the Bollandists have “Aidanus Laech” entered, in their great work. In the Martyrology of Tallagh, we have inserted, at the 1st of April,’ Aidan laech, i.e. Tamlachtain Bairci.’ It is supposed, that this place was within the county of Down, if—as seems not unlikely—the present saint was connected with Cill-Aedhain, plundered A.D. 1149. The existing name and situation of Cill Aedhain do not appear to have been identified, until the late Dr. O’Donovan offered that solution, but the denomination is rendered Aedhan’s Cell. The wording of this saint’s festival, in the Tallagh Martyrology, seems to imply, that he was a “soldier,” or “layman,” in Tamlaght Boirche. If such be the case, his locality must be sought, among the mountains of Moume, in or near the parishes of Kilkeel, barony of Moume, or of Kilbrony, barony of Upper Iveagh, and county of Down. Perhaps, it might be identical with Killowen, in Kilbrony parish. In the townland of Lisnacree, at the south-west edge of the parish of Kilkeel, is the graveyard of Tamlacht chapel. On this day, we find Aedhan, of Cill Aedhan, in Ulster, registered in the Martyrology of Donegal, as having been venerated.
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