> /tti/rcm*? , T H E L I i' E »- ®-t Hin Hm V FIRST BISHOF ,4 fuiiiiki' of the Mi of Cork. EDITED, WITH NOTES., ETC., FROM MSS. LX THU BODLEIAN LIBRARY. OXFORD ; ARGHBIMIOP MARSES LIB AND TRINITY COLLEGE’. DUBLIN, BY RICHARD CAULFIELD. B.A., Fellow of the Society of Antiquaries, London, Membre Corresp. de la Societe des Antiq. de Normandie ; and President of the Cork Cuvierian Society for the Promotion of the Sciences. Sacerdotes tui Domine Deus induantur salutem, et Saeeti tui latentur in bonis. Parttlip. vi. 42. L O N D 0 N : RUSSELL SMITH, SOHO SQUARE. 1864 . Digitized by the Internet Archive in 2016 https://archive.org/details/lifeofsaintfinbaOOcaul T HE LIFE OF m- a® lint SSnm, FIRST BISnOP AND jFnmihr nf tlji $n of Cork. EDITED, WITH NOTES, ETC., FROM MSS. IN THE BODLEIAN LIBRARY, OXFORD; ARCHBISHOP MARSH’S LIBRARY, AND TRINITY COLLEGE, DUBLIN, B If RICHARD CAULFIELD, B.A., Fellow of the Society of Antiquaries , London, Membre Corresp. de la Societe des Antiq. de Normandie ; and President of the Cork Cuvierian Society for the Promotion of the Sciences. Sacerdotes tui Domine Deus induantur salutem, et Sancti tui lsetentur in bonis. Paralip. vi. 42. LONDON: RUSSELL SMITH, SOHO SQUARE. 1864. Cork Printed by George Nash, 16 , Prince’s-Street, B INTRODUCTION. During a visit to the Bodleian Library, Oxford, in the summer of 1862, my attention was called by the Rev. William D. Macray, M. A. e. Coll. Mag. et Nov., to two MSS. each containing a life of St. Barre, a together with the biographies of numerous other Irish saints. These MSS. are thus described by Mr. Macray in his Cat. Cod. MSS. Bibi. Bodl. R. Rawlinson. — Vitae Sanctorum Hiberniae — 485. “ Codex Membranaceus, in 4to. ff. 168, sec. xv., ineuntis in fine mancus; olim inter Codices Clarendonianos” 41-505. “ Codex Membranaceus, manibus tribus bene exaratus, in principio mancus in folio, ff. 220, sec. xv. ineuntis. Olim inter Codices Comitis de Clarendon,” (literis majusculis bene descriptum.) In fine est nota Hibernice scripta de vita quadam S. Colmani in hoc volumine abstracta quae in usum Thomae Mac Paulo Moriarty exarata fuisset; ad oram inferiorem fol. 217 b sunt liaec. Hie liber pertinet ad me Cormacum Moriartum anno Domini 1619. — Both MSS. are written in double columns. On my return I mentioned this discovery in a letter to that distinguished divine and antiquary the Rev. William Reeves, D.D., Armagh, who, with his customary kindness, sent me the following list of the lives b of St. Barre, from his reference book to the lives of Irish Saints — Barre — MS. Hib. Bruss. iv. p. 2, p. 16, No. 2324-2340. Smith’s MSS. R. I. A., No. 12, pp. 506-525— No. 150, pp. 129-137— No. 168, pp. 110-116. MS. Lat. Marsh Cod. Kilken. fol. 132 6-134— Trim Coll. Dub. a “ St. Finbar, the founder and patron of Cork. He is also the patron Saint of Dornoch, the episcopal seat of Caithness ; and the island of Barra, which derives its name from him.” Reeves' Adam. Co- lumb. lxxiv. “ The church in this island is called Kilbarr, i.e. St. Barr’s Church. There is a little chappel by it, in which the Mackneil, and those descended of his family, are usually interred. The natives have St. Barr’s wooden image standing on the altar, covered with linen in the form of a shirt ; all their greatest asseve- rations are by this saint. I came very early in the morning with an intention to see this image, but was disappointed, for the natives prevented me, by carrying it away lest I might take occasion to ridicule their superstition, as some Pro- testants have done formerly, and when I was gone, it was again exposed on the altar. They have several traditions con- cerning this 'great saint. There is a chappel (about half a mile on the south side of the hill near St. Barr’s church,) where I had occasion to get an account of a tradition concerning this saint, which was thus : The inhabitants having begun to build the church, which they dedicated to him, they laid this wooden image within it, but it was invisibly transported (as they say,) to the place where the church now stands, and found there every morning.” Martin’s Westn. Islands , p. 92. “ His festival is here observed 27th Sept., it is performed riding on horseback, and the solemnity is concluded by three turns round St. Barr’s church.” Ib. p. 99. “This island is very irregular and indented shape, &c., its dimensions are ten miles in length by seven in breadth.” Macculloch’ s Westn. Isles, vol. i. p. 70. b Vid. Bolland. Sep. IV E. iii. ii. f. 109 aa - 110 bb. Dr. Reeves subsequently furnished me with a transcript of the Marsh MS. with the Var. Lee. of the Cod. T.C.D. Both MSS. are large folios on vellum, written in double columns circ. 1200. These last mentioned MSS., with the copies which I made in the Bodleian Library, are presented to the reader in this fasciculus. The Martyrology of Donegal* contains the following notice of St. Barre. Septimo Kal. Octobris. “ Bairre, Bishop and Confessor, of Corcach, in Munster. Christ himself conferred the degree of Bishop upon him, as is evident from his life. He was of the race of Brian, son of Eochaidh Muighm- heodhoin. b Cumin, of Coindeire, states, in the poem which begins “ Patrick of the fort of Macha loves,” that Bairre was humble to every person, and that he used to give assistance to every person whom he saw in want. Thus he says : — “ Bairre, the fire of wisdom, loves Humility to the men of the world ; He never saw in want A person that he did not assist.” Bairre spoke in his mother’s womb, and also immediately after his birth, in order to justify his father and his mother, as his life states in the first chapter. We find in a very old book which contains the Martyrology of Tamhlacht, and the history of the Female Saints, that there were seventeen holy bishops and seven hundred prosperous monks together with Bairre and St. Nessan, c at Corcach- Mor of Munster. We find in the same book that Bairre, Bishop of Munster and of Connacht, had a likeness in habits and life to Augustin, bishop of the Saxons.” Colgan, in the life of St. Talmach, p. 607, gives an interesting passage respecting St. Barre’s school at Loch-Irce, d now Googane Barra, viz. : — 1 fe One of that a Yol. i, p. 259. b Eochaidh Muigmidoin oh. 365 A.D. Brian a Quo Ui briuin Hatha. i Be hac plebe oriundus fuit O Cairbre Canvan. Item O' Callanan. Eochaidh I Ninnedh I Flann Cairtinn I Art I Amergen I Bairre. c “ Ipsum (Nessan) Corcagiae sepultum esset et in magna veneratione olim haberi indicat S. ^En. in libello suo Litaniarum, ubi num. ‘ ipsum et S. Barrium sanc- tosque alios septem et decem supra sep- tingentos ibidem jacentes his verbis ut intercessores apud Deum invocat.’ Sep- tem et decem sanctos Episcopos, cum septingentis servis Dei, qui cum B. Barrio et S. Nessano jacent Corcagiae, quorum nomina scripta sunt in caelis, hos omnes invoco in auxilium,” &c. Colgan , pp. 629-30. Colitur Corcagiae 17 Martii et 1 Decemb. d “ Iioch Irce in finibus Muscragiac et nepotum Eochodii Cruodhae.” Ward's Rumold. p. 204. y numerous multitude of disciples who frequented the school of St. Barre, Bishop of Cork, near Loch-Erce, in the South and maritime part of Munster, was St. Talmach, confessor of Christ, concerning whom and other fellow-disciples these things are recorded in the life of the same holy Bishop. After these things St. Barre came to a lake, which in the Irish language is called Loch-Erce, near which he constructed a Monastery, to which, as to the abode of wisdom and receptacle 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. Barre himself, St. Colrnan of Dore Dhunehon, St. Bathinus, St. Nessan, St. Garbhan son of Finnbarre, St. Talmach, St. Finchadius of Ros-Alithir, St. Lucerus, St. Cumanus, St. Lochinus of Achadh-airaird, St. Carinus, St. Fintanus of Ros-coerach, St. Euhel of Ros-coerach, St. Trellanus of Druim-draighniche, St. Coelchus, St. Mogenna, St. Modimocus, St. Sanctanus, and St. Lugerius son of Columb. All these and many others who 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. Barre their father and master and his successors.” An Irish life, kindly lent me by Mr. Windele, mentions a school of female saints, which was also at this place. The following abstract of the character of this holy man is from the Irish and Latin lives : — “ Flis 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 Moses ; a Psalmist like David ; wise like Solomon ; 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 pleasure. 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. Barre went to Cill-na-cluana (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 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 VI Bishops, Priests, Monks, and Disciples, on his death being reported, and 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 unspeak- able to heaven, to the company of the Patriarchs, Prophets, Apostles, and Disciples of Jesus Christ, and of the Holy Trinity, The Father, the Son, and Holy Ghost.” Amen. Cflki %m\) y Hilton. fol. 132 A. -134. %mit trita ganiti larri, %sx.tn Cd& fpisrnpi rt Ccntanm. e. 3 ! h.t.c.d*. fol. 109. ca-110 bb. Sanctus Dei electus atque dignus pontifex Barrus, de gente ^onnacthorum, .sc. de gente nepotibus a Briuin ortus est. Comes 1 Connactorum. siquidem nepotum 2 Briuyn in adulterio genuit filium nomine 2Bnuin - 3 Amargenus, et assumpsit eum in comitatu suo ; ipse enim Comes, 3Amar ? en - post ebrietatem deceptus, similitudine Loth, b cum sua filia con- cubuit, et ipsa duos filios peperit. Et unus eorum in ampnem projectus est ne scelus hominibus appareret, quod Deum celare non potuit. Alter vero, .*. 4 Amargenus bestiis in deserto relictus 4Amar s en - est devorari. Divina autem providentia 5 luppa eum nutrivit donec 51upa * adultus fuit. Postea autem subulci, lustrantes deserta silvarum, invenerunt illum et adduxerunt secum ad mansionem suam, et forma nobilissima apparuit ipse. Interea adduxerunt eum ad comitem qui fuit pater ipsius, et cognovit comes c quod filius suus esset, et diligens eum assumpsit, sicut predictum est, in comitatu suo. Deinde causa verecundiae, jubente sibi patre suo, venit ipse habere. Et periti dicunt quod ille sanctus senex beatum Barrum baptizavit, sanctus siquidem Colingus a inspiratus spiritu prophetali praevidit adventum sancti Barri et dixit ad familiam suam, sanctus hospes cum beatis comitibus hodie ad nos venient, praeparate jam in adventum illorum hospitium, balneum, et cibum. Et postquam illuc vir Dei receptus est cum honore, ac mansorius sancti Colingi dixit ad beatos hospites, salutans eos sanctus senex magister noster valde letus est in adventu vestro, solventur calciamenta de pedibus vestris ut laventur aqua, et postea balneate. Bespondit sanctus Barrus dicens, Plus placet nobis prius salutare senem quam haec verba, hic compaciens paupertati sanctorum, ait, sancte vir Dei, hunc agrum et hanc vaccam quae in conspectu nostro peperit, vobis ob honore Dei do et concedo, Cui sanctus ait. Benedictus sis a Deo, et semen tuum hereditate possideat benedictionem. Mansit igitur ibi vir Dei, edificans 3 non tam domum manufactam ex lapidibus mundanis quam etiam domum 3 non tam domum spiritualem ex lapidibus veris, verbo et opere, per spiritum sanctum lapidibus e