CXX. Fursa** mac Fiontajn ṁic Gilgéise, CXXI. Ceannmaraa na c-cuan fuair buajd féjle, CXXII. Fjonana Cluana Jorajrd 's a ċlésre, Do rug o plajż Jobrażaċ saor léis, our remarks on the Apostle of Ireland farther on, we can only direct attention to them here. © One and a-quarter miles from Carlow, in Queen's County. He was prelate over the principal parts of Leinster, appointed by Patrick.-See his poem and notes at end of this work. STANZA CXX. a At present so piously ruled by the patriotic, zealous, and uncompromising Bishop Blake-the prop of Catholicity, and the bold asserter of Ireland's rights. b The name of the O'Carroll's territory, in Queen's County; he was son of Ængus, King of Munster, out of whose palace himself and his mother were turned, when young, took refuge in Queen's County, and was baptized by St. Colman, above stated. Or he may be, rather, Colman of Aileagh, spelled Eile, E for A, which is not unusual, even the Latin writers use the slender for the broad, and vice versa—thus, maxume for maxime, and Virgil olli for illi, in Æneid, book i., then by apocope of ach, we have Eile. This place was on either side of the present river Lagan, in the ancient country of the Dalriada, in the Diocess of Dromore. His feast is kept on the 6th of June. This was the greatest of the Colmans. This is treated of by us more closely elsewhere.-See Lanigan, who writes of Colman. CXX. Fursa, the son of Finton, son of Gilgeash, CXXI. Conmara of the bay who surpassed in generosity, Mochua, Molua, Lactan, Benignus (or Benin), CXXII. Finan of Clonard and his clergy, Finan Felion (whose grot was) in Lough Lene, That brought from plague Iveragh safe with him. Still as the name is coupled with Brennan of Birr, we think it might refer to a St. Colman of Eile, in Tipperary, as we find that the mountain, now called the Devil's bit, was formerly so denominated; and it was near that hill St. Brennan of Clonfert met Aodh of Munster to reconcile him and Aodh (Hugh) of Connaught. From the latter is the illustrious tribe name of Keogh. Let the general reader be here informed, that there were Pagan nuns in Ireland. Their residence at Tara was called Cluanfearta, or Corner of Graves, as they were dead to the world. They were vestal virgins. According to Mac Curtin, O'Brennan of Clonfert was descended from Fergus Mac Roigh, of the posterity of Ir. This may be; as elsewhere we showed that tribes of that name, of the lines of Heber, Heremon, and Ir, were, at a very early period, located in Connaught. According to the same authority, the above saint built the Church of Clonfert, A.D. 530. Wherever there are many of the same concerned in public matters, there will necessarily be a difficulty in distinguishing one man from another; especially if the residences of the persons be also of the same name. But in Ireland there were many Clonferts and Ardferts in Pagan and Christian times, and many Saints Brennan. The term feart implies either "miracle," 66 wonder," or 66 grave," and, consequently, Clonfert and Ardfert were common names before St. Patrick.-See Historical Notes. H CXXIII. Guidisia is guidimsi Dja na n-déj¿e, An t-Atarr, an Mac, 's a Srjorad Naoṁċa, CXXIV. Pater noster, cui es in coelis, CXXV. Abe Maria, grasja plená, STANZA CXXI. 2 See" Lives of the Saints," approved of by Very Rev. Dr. Meagher, P.P., Rathmines, for all the above names. b The hermit-an eminent saint. The O'Garas of Connaught are nearly extinct. c St. Bridget was of Meath by birth, hence he calls her moe. STANZA CXXII. a St. Finghin, Finian, or Florence, here mentioned, was the founder of the abbeys in Kerry; as of Derrynane (Derry Finan), Finan's ivied oak, of Ballinaskellig, of Church island Tarman's lake, and of Innisfallen. It is related, that through his intercession Iveragh was delivered from a plague. His memory is held in great veneration in that country. Every district and almost every distinguished family in Ireland had its household saint, whose protection was invoked in times of all emergencies. These are CXXIII. Let them pray, and I pray the God of gods, [Gaodaliv. The faith and their right to pay back (restore) to the Blessed art thou, the Lord is with thee, Pray for us, O faithful! (O friend) don't forsake us, Now and for ever, that I may obtain from you a hearing. some of the saints enumerated here by our bard. The poet here calls Fineen "his saint," as being the Patron whose patronage the O'Connells invoked. Not long since Mr. Curry, in an interesting lecture, said much of St. Fineen. STANZA CXXIII. a Pray ye, and let me pray-Here is the language of an ecclesiastic, exhorting, in the pathetic language of a pastor, his countrymen to place their only-all their hopes in heaven. In fact, we have never read more touching or sublime language than from stanza cix. to the end. With a holy violence he assails heaven, in the words of a prelate, who thought that, de congruo, he had a right to obtain relief for Ireland from her oppression. b Gyeeshe is gyeeimshe dheea na nhehe, On thahir, on mock, s a spirid neefa, STANZA LIX. The annexed stanza, which was not in our copy, we found in one in the Royal Irish Academy, and in another lent us by Mr. O'Daly, Anglesea-st. We cannot understand how it was omitted, but we are to presume, that the copyist not being inclined to believe the fact enunciated in it, thought he was justified in expunging it. Such a practice is highly unbecoming and most injurious to history. No transcriber should make verbal alterations, much less leave out entire passages. Can anything be more improper than such tampering with authors. Forsooth, because a scrivener finds a word or passage different from his own view, he has the impudence to erase what the author thought, and what was perhaps really a beauty. Public opinion must condemn such conduct. • Da Ėjċċid air derċ duine taréis éaga, "Forty and ten persons after death (50), He re-animated from death to this life! From year to year a person and five fifties (251)." Dhaw ighid er dhegh dhinne thar aysh ayga, *This line means that he raised nine men who died at the same moment. |