{"collection":"scripture-revelation","full_text_available":true,"graph_url":"https://unchartedknowledge.5gfusion.net/v2/api/page/gutenberg_823/graph","html_url":"https://unchartedknowledge.5gfusion.net/v2/page/gutenberg_823","id":"gutenberg_823","license":"Public Domain (US)","rights_basis":"gutenberg_metadata_copyright_false","source":"gutenberg","source_url":"https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/823","summary":null,"tags":["Category: Biographies","Category: History - Religious","Category: Religion/Spirituality","Declan, Saint, Bishop of Ardmore, active 6th century -- Legends"],"text":"Produced by Dennis McCarthy\n\n\n\n\n\nLIFE OF ST. DECLAN OF ARDMORE\n\n(Edited from MS. in Bibliotheque Royale, Brussels).\n\nTranslated from the Irish With Introduction\n\nby Rev. P. Power, M.R.I.A.\n\nUniversity College, Cork.\n\n\n\n\nINTRODUCTION\n\n\n     \"If thou hast the right, O Erin,\n     to a champion of battle to aid thee\n     thou hast the head of a hundred\n     thousand, Declan of Ardmore\"\n     (Martyrology of Oengus).\n\n\nFive miles or less to the east of Youghal Harbour, on the southern\nIrish coast, a short, rocky and rather elevated promontory juts, with a\nsouth-easterly trend, into the ocean [about 51 deg. 57 min. N / 7 deg.\n43 min. W]. Maps and admiralty charts call it Ram Head, but the real\nname is Ceann-a-Rama and popularly it is often styled Ardmore Head. The\nmaterial of this inhospitable coast is a hard metamorphic schist which\nbids defiance to time and weather. Landwards the shore curves in clay\ncliffs to the north-east, leaving, between it and the iron headland\nbeyond, a shallow exposed bay wherein many a proud ship has met her\ndoom. Nestling at the north side of the headland and sheltered by the\nlatter from Atlantic storms stands one of the most remarkable groups of\nancient ecclesiastical remains in Ireland--all that has survived of St.\nDeclan's holy city of Ardmore. This embraces a beautiful and perfect\nround tower, a singularly interesting ruined church commonly called the\ncathedral, the ruins of a second church beside a holy well, a primitive\noratory, a couple of ogham inscribed pillar stones, &c., &c.\n\nNo Irish saint perhaps has so strong a local hold as Declan or has left\nso abiding a popular memory. Nevertheless his period is one of the great\ndisputed questions of early Irish history. According to the express\ntestimony of his Life, corroborated by testimony of the Lives of SS.\nAilbhe and Ciaran, he preceded St. Patrick in the Irish mission and\nwas a co-temporary of the national apostle. Objection, exception or\nopposition to the theory of Declan's early period is based less on any\ninherent improbability in the theory itself than on contradictions and\ninconsistencies in the Life. Beyond any doubt the Life does actually\ncontradict itself; it makes Declan a cotemporary of Patrick in the fifth\ncentury and a cotemporary likewise of St. David a century later. In\nany attempted solution of the difficulty involved it may be helpful\nto remember a special motive likely to animate a tribal histrographer,\nscil.:--the family relationship, if we may so call it, of the two\nsaints; David was bishop of the Deisi colony in Wales as Declan was\nbishop of their kinsmen of southern Ireland. It was very probably part\nof the writer's purpose to call attention to the links of kindred which\nbound the separated Deisi; witness his allusion later to the alleged\nvisit of Declan to his kinsmen of Bregia. Possibly there were several\nDeclans, as there were scores of Colmans, Finians, &c., and hence\nperhaps the confusion and some of the apparent inconsistencies. There\nwas certainly a second Declan, a disciple of St. Virgilius, to whom the\nlatter committed care of a church in Austria where he died towards\nclose of eighth century. Again we find mention of a St. Declan who was\na foster son of Mogue of Ferns, and so on. It is too much, as Delehaye\n(\"Legendes Hagiographiques\") remarks, to expect the populace to\ndistinguish between namesakes. Great men are so rare! Is it likely there\nshould have lived two saints of the same name in the same country!\n\nThe latest commentators on the question of St. Declan's period--and they\nhappen to be amongst the most weighty--argue strongly in favour of the\npre-Patrician mission (Cfr. Prof. Kuno Meyer, \"Learning Ireland in the\nFifth Century\"). Discussing the way in which letters first reached our\ndistant island of the west and the causes which led to the proficiency\nof sixth-century Ireland in classical learning Zimmer and Meyer contend\nthat the seeds of that literary culture, which flourished in Ireland of\nthe sixth century, had been sown therein in the first and second decades\nof the preceding century by Gaulish scholars who had fled from their own\ncountry owing to invasion of the latter by Goths and other barbarians.\nThe fact that these scholars, who were mostly Christians, sought asylum\nin Ireland indicates that Christianity had already penetrated thither,\nor at any rate that it was known and tolerated there. Dr. Meyer answers\nthe objection that if so large and so important an invasion of scholars\ntook place we ought have some reference to the fact in the Irish annals.\nThe annals, he replies, are of local origin and they rarely refer in\ntheir oldest parts to national events: moreover they are very meagre in\ntheir information about the fifth century. One Irish reference to the\nGaulish scholars is, however, adduced in corroboration; it occurs in\nthat well known passage in St. Patrick's \"Confessio\" where the saint\ncries out against certain \"rhetoricians\" in Ireland who were hostile\nto him and pagan,--\"You rhetoricians who do not know the Lord, hear and\nsearch Who it was that called me up, fool though I be, from the midst\nof those who think themselves wise and skilled in the law and mighty\norators and powerful in everything.\" Who were these \"rhetorici\" that\nhave made this passage so difficult for commentators and have caused\nso various constructions to be put upon it? It is clear, the professor\nmaintains, that the reference is to pagan rhetors from Gaul whose\narrogant presumption, founded on their learning, made them regard with\ndisdain the comparatively illiterate apostle of the Scots. Everyone is\nfamiliar with the classic passage of Tacitus wherein he alludes to the\nharbours of Ireland as being more familiar to continental mariners than\nthose of Britain. We have references moreover to refugee Christians who\nfled to Ireland from the persecutions of Diocletian more than a century\nbefore St. Patrick's day; in addition it is abundantly evident that\nmany Irishmen--Christians like Celestius the lieutenant of Pelagius,\nand possibly Pelagius himself, amongst them--had risen to distinction or\nnotoriety abroad before middle of the fifth century.\n\nPossibly the best way to present the question of Declan's age is to put\nin tabulated form the arguments of the pre-Patrician advocates against\nthe counter contentions of those who claim that Declan's period is later\nthan Patrick's:--\n\n\n   For the Pre-Patrician Mission.            Against Theory of Early\n                                               Fifth Century period.\n\n   I.--Positive statement of Life,      I.--Contradictions, anachronisms,\n      corroborated by Lives of SS.         &c., of Life.\n      Ciaran and Ailbhe.               II.--Lack of allusion to Declan in\n  II.--Patrick's apparent avoidance        the Lives of St. Patrick.\n      of the Principality of Decies.  III.--Prosper's testimony to the\n III.--The peculiar Declan cult and        mission of Palladius as first\n      the strong local hold which          bishop to the believing Scots.\n      Declan has maintained.           IV.--Alleged motives for later\n                                           invention of Pre-Patrician story.\n\n\nIn this matter and at this hour it is hardly worth appealing to the\nauthority of Lanigan and the scholars of the past. Much evidence not\navailable in Lanigan's day is now at the service of scholars. We are to\nlook rather at the reasoning of Colgan, Ussher, and Lanigan than to the\nmere weight of their names.\n\nReferring in order to our tabulated grounds of argument, pro and con,\nand taking the pro arguments first, we may (I.) discard as evidence for\nour purpose the Life of St. Ibar which is very fragmentary and otherwise\na rather unsatisfactory document. The Lives of Ailbhe, Ciaran, and\nDeclan are however mutually corroborative and consistent. The\nRoman visit and the alleged tutelage under Hilarius are probably\nembellishments; they look like inventions to explain something and they\nmay contain more than a kernel of truth. At any rate they are matters\nrequiring further investigation and elucidation. In this connection it\nmay be useful to recall that the Life (Latin) of St. Ciaran has been\nattributed by Colgan to Evinus the disciple and panegyrist of St.\nPatrick.\n\nPatrick's apparent neglect of the Decies (II.) may have no special\nsignificance. At best it is but negative evidence: taken, however, in\nconnection with (I.) and its consectaria it is suggestive. We can\nhardly help speculating why the apostle--passing as it were by its\nfront door--should have given the go-bye to a region so important as the\nMunster Decies. Perhaps he sent preachers into it; perhaps there was no\nspecial necessity for a formal mission, as the faith had already\nfound entrance. It is a little noteworthy too that we do not find St.\nPatrick's name surviving in any ecclesiastical connection with the\nDecies, if we except Patrick's Well, near Clonmel, and this Well is\nwithin a mile or so of the territorial frontier. Moreover the southern\nportion of the present Tipperary County had been ceded by Aengus to the\nDeisi, only just previous to Patrick's advent, and had hardly yet had\nsufficient time to become absorbed. The whole story of Declan's alleged\nrelations with Patrick undoubtedly suggests some irregularity in\nDeclan's mission--an irregularity which was capable of rectification\nthrough Patrick and which de facto was finally so rectified.\n\n(III.) No one in Eastern Munster requires to be told how strong is the\ncult of St. Declan throughout Decies and the adjacent territory. It is\nhardly too much to say that the Declan tradition in Waterford and Cork\nis a spiritual actuality, extraordinary and unique, even in a land\nwhich till recently paid special popular honour to its local saints. In\ntraditional popular regard Declan in the Decies has ever stood first,\nforemost, and pioneer. Carthage, founder of the tribal see, has held and\nholds in the imagination of the people only a secondary place. Declan,\nwhencesoever or whenever he came, is regarded as the spiritual father\nto whom the Deisi owe the gift of faith. How far this tradition and the\nimplied belief in Declan's priority and independent mission are derived\nfrom circulation of the \"Life\" throughout Munster in the last few\ncenturies it is difficult to gauge, but the tradition seems to have\nflourished as vigorously in the days of Colgan as it does to-day.\nDeclan's \"pattern\" at Ardmore continues to be still the most noted\ncelebration of its kind in Ireland. A few years ago it was participated\nin by as many as fourteen thousand people from all parts of Waterford,\nCork, and Tipperary. The scenes and ceremonies have been so frequently\ndescribed that it is not necessary to recount them here--suffice it to\nsay that the devotional practices and, in fact, the whole celebration\nis of a purely popular character receiving no approbation, and but bare\ntoleration, from church or clergy. Even to the present day Declan's name\nis borne as their praenomen by hundreds of Waterford men, and, before\nintroduction of the modern practice of christening with foolish foreign\nnames, its use was far more common, as the ancient baptismal registers\nof Ardmore, Old Parish, and Clashmore attest. On the other hand Declan's\nname is associated with comparatively few places in the Decies. Of these\nthe best known is Relig Deaglain, a disused graveyard and early church\nsite on the townland of Drumroe, near Cappoquin. There was also an\nancient church called Killdeglain, near Stradbally.\n\nAgainst the theory of the pre-Patrician or citra-Patrician mission we\nhave first the objection, which really has no weight, and which we shall\nnot stop to discuss, that it is impossible for Christianity at that\nearly date to have found its way to this distant island, beyond the\nboundary of the world. An argument on a different plane is (I.), the\nundoubtedly contradictory and inconsistent character of the Life. It is\neasy however to exaggerate the importance of this point. Modern critical\nmethods were undreamed of in the days of our hagiographer, who\nwrote, moreover, for edification only in a credulous age. Most of the\nhistorical documents of the period are in a greater or less degree\nuncritical but that does not discredit their testimony however much it\nmay confuse their editors. It can be urged moreover that two mutually\nincompatible genealogies of the saint are given. The genealogy given by\nMacFirbisigh seems in fact to disagree in almost every possible detail\nwith the genealogy in 23 M. 50 R.I.A. That however is like an argument\nthat Declan never existed. It really suggests and almost postulates the\nexistence of a second Declan whose Acts and those of our Declan have\nbecome mutually confused.\n\n(II.) Absence of Declan's name from the Acts of Patrick is a negative\nargument. It is explicable perhaps by the supposed irregularity of\nDeclan's preaching. Declan was certainly earlier than Mochuda and yet\nthere is no reference to him in the Life of the latter saint. Ailbhe\nhowever is referred to in the Tripartite Life of Patrick and the\ncases of Ailbhe and Declan are \"a pari\"; the two saints stand or fall\ntogether.\n\n(IV.) Motives for invention of the pre-Patrician myth are alleged,\nscil.:--to rebut certain claims to jurisdiction, tribute or visitation\nadvanced by Armagh in after ages. It is hard to see however how\nresistance to the claims in question could be better justified on the\ntheory of a pre-Patrician Declan, who admittedly acknowledged Patrick's\nsupremacy, than on the admission of a post-Patrician mission.\n\nThat in Declan we have to deal with a very early Christian teacher of\nthe Decies there can be no doubt. If not anterior to Patrick he must\nhave been the latter's cotemporary. Declan however had failed to convert\nthe chieftain of his race and for this--reading between the lines of the\n\"Life\"--we seem to hear Patrick blaming him.\n\nThe monuments proper of Declan remaining at Ardmore are (a) his ORATORY\nnear the Cathedral and Round Tower in the graveyard, (b) his STONE on\nthe beach, (c) his WELL on the cliff, and (d) ANOTHER STONE said to have\nbeen found in his tomb and preserved at Ardmore for long ages with great\nreveration. The \"Life\" refers moreover to the saint's pastoral staff and\nhis bell but these have disappeared for centuries.\n\nThe \"Oratory\" is simply a primitive church of the usual sixth century\ntype: it stands 13' 4\" x 8' 9\" in the clear, and has, or had, the usual\nhigh-pitched gables and square-headed west doorway with inclining jambs.\nAnother characteristic feature of the early oratory is seen in the\ncurious antae or prolongation of the side walls. Locally the little\nbuilding is known as the \"beannacan,\" in allusion, most likely, to\nits high gables or the finials which once, no doubt, in Irish fashion,\nadorned its roof. Though somewhat later than Declan's time this\nprimitive building is very intimately connected with the Saint.\nPopularly it is supposed to be his grave and within it is a hollow space\nscooped out, wherein it is said his ashes once reposed. It is highly\nprobable that tradition is quite correct as to the saint's grave, over\nwhich the little church was erected in the century following Declan's\ndeath. The oratory was furnished with a roof of slate by Bishop Mills in\n1716.\n\n\"St. Declan's Stone\" is a glacial boulder of very hard conglomerate\nwhich lies on a rocky ledge of beach beneath the village of Ardmore.\nIt measures some 8' 6\" x 4' 6\" x 4' 0\" and reposes upon two slightly\njutting points of the underlying metamorphic rock. Wonderful virtues are\nattributed to St. Declan's Stone, which, on the occasion of the patronal\nfeast, is visited by hundreds of devotees who, to participate in its\nhealing efficacy and beneficence, crawl laboriously on face and hands\nthrough the narrow space between the boulder and the underlying rock.\nNear by, at foot of a new storm-wall, are two similar but somewhat\nsmaller boulders which, like their venerated and more famous neighbour,\nwere all wrenched originally by a glacier from their home in the\nComeragh Mountains twenty miles away.\n\n\"St. Declan's Well,\" beside some remains of a rather large and\napparently twelfth century church on the cliff, in the townland of\nDysert is diverted into a shallow basin in which pilgrims bathe feet\nand hands. Set in some comparatively modern masonry over the well are\na carved crucifixion and other figures of apparently late mediaeval\ncharacter. Some malicious interference with this well led, nearly a\nhundred years since, to much popular indignation and excitement.\n\nThe second \"St. Declan's Stone\" was a small, cross-inscribed jet-black\npiece of slate or marble, approximately--2\" or 3\" x 1 1/2\". Formerly\nit seems to have had a small silver cross inset and was in great demand\nlocally as an amulet for cattle curing. It disappeared however, some\nfifty years or so since, but very probably it could still be recovered\nin Dungarvan.\n\nFar the most striking of all the monuments at Ardmore is, of course, the\nRound Tower which, in an excellent state of preservation, stands with\nits conical cap of stone nearly a hundred feet high. Two remarkable, if\nnot unique, features of the tower are the series of sculptured corbels\nwhich project between the floors on the inside, and the four projecting\nbelts or zones of masonry which divide the tower into storeys\nexternally. The tower's architectural anomalies are paralleled by its\nhistory which is correspondingly unique: it stood a regular siege in\n1642, when ordnance was brought to bear on it and it was defended\nby forty confederates against the English under Lords Dungarvan and\nBroghil.\n\nA few yards to north of the Round Tower stands \"The Cathedral\"\nillustrating almost every phase of ecclesiastical architecture which\nflourished in Ireland from St. Patrick to the Reformation--Cyclopean,\nCeltic-Romanesque, Transitional and Pointed. The chancel arch is\npossibly the most remarkable and beautiful illustration of the\nTransitional that we have. An extraordinary feature of the church is\nthe wonderful series of Celtic arcades and panels filled with archaic\nsculptures in relief which occupy the whole external face of the west\ngable.\n\nSt. Declan's foundation at Ardmore seems (teste Moran's Archdall) to\nhave been one of the Irish religious houses which accepted the reform of\nPope Innocent at the Lateran Council and to have transformed itself\ninto a Regular Canonry. It would however be possible to hold, on the\nevidence, that it degenerated into a mere parochial church. We hear\nindeed of two or three episcopal successors of the saint, scil.:--Ultan\nwho immediately followed him, Eugene who witnessed a charter to the\nabbey of Cork in 1174, and Moelettrim O Duibhe-rathre who died in\n1303 after he had, according to the annals of Inisfallen, \"erected and\nfinished the Church\" of Ardmore. The \"Wars of the Gaedhil and Gall\"\nhave reference, circa 824 or 825, to plunder by the Northmen of Disert\nTipraite which is almost certainly the church of Dysert by the Holy Well\nat Ardmore. The same fleet, on the same expedition, plundered Dunderrow\n(near Kinsale), Inisshannon (Bandon River), Lismore, and Kilmolash.\n\nRegarding the age of our \"Life\" it is difficult with the data at hand\nto say anything very definite. While dogmatism however is dangerous\nindefiniteness is unsatisfying. True, we cannot trace the genealogy\nof the present version beyond middle of the sixteenth century, but its\nreferences to ancient monuments existing at date of its compilation show\nit to be many centuries older. Its language proves little or nothing,\nfor, being a popular work, it would be modernised to date by each\nsuccessive scribe. Colgan was of opinion it was a composition of the\neighth century. Ussher and Ware, who had the Life in very ancient\ncodices, also thought it of great antiquity. Papebrach, the Bollandist,\non the other hand, considered the Life could not be older than the\ntwelfth century, but this opinion of his seems to have been based on a\nmisapprehension. In the absence of all diocesan colour or allusion one\nfeels constrained to assign the production to some period previous to\nRathbreasail. We should not perhaps be far wrong in assigning the first\ncollection of materials to somewhere in the eighth century or in the\ncentury succeeding. The very vigorous ecclesiastical revival of the\neleventh century, at conclusion of the Danish wars, must have led to\nsome revision of the country's religious literature. The introduction,\na century and-a-half later, of the great religious orders most probably\nled to translation of the Life into Latin and its casting into shape for\nreading in refectory or choir.\n\nOnly three surviving copies of the Irish Life are known to the writer:\none in the Royal Library at Brussels, the second in the Royal Irish\nAcademy Collection (M. 23, 50, pp. 109-120), and the third in possession\nof Professor Hyde. As the second and third enumerated are copies of one\nimperfect exemplar it has not been thought necessary to collate both\nwith the Brussels MS. which has furnished the text here printed. M. 23,\n50 (R.I.A.) has however been so collated and the marginal references\ninitialled B are to that imperfect copy. The latter, by the way, is in\nthe handwriting of John Murphy \"na Raheenach,\" and is dated 1740. It has\nnot been thought necessary to give more than the important variants.\n\nThe present text is a reproduction of the Brussels MS. plus lengthening\nof contractions. As regards lengthening in question it is to be noted\nthat the well known contraction for \"ea\" or \"e\" has been uniformly\ntransliterated \"e.\" Otherwise orthography of the MS. has been\nscrupulously followed--even where inconsistent or incorrect. For the\ndivision into paragraphs the editor is not responsible; he has merely\nfollowed the division originated, or adopted, by the scribe. The Life\nherewith presented was copied in 1629 by Brother Michael O'Clery of the\nFour Masters' staff from an older MS. of Eochy O'Heffernan's dated 1582.\nThe MS. of O'Heffernan is referred to by our scribe as \"seinleabar,\"\nbut his reference is rather to the contents than to the copy. Apparently\nO'Clery did more than transcribe; he re-edited, as was his wont, into\nthe literary Irish of his day. A page of the Brussels MS., reproduced in\nfacsimile as a frontispiece to the present volume, will give the student\na good idea of O'Clery's script and style.\n\nOccasional notes on Declan in the martyrologies and elsewhere give some\nfurther information about our saint. Unfortunately however the alleged\nfacts are not always capable of reconciliation with statements of our\n\"Life,\" and again the existence of a second, otherwise unknown, Declan\nis suggested. The introduction of rye is attributed to him in the\nCalendar of Oengus, as introduction of wheat is credited to St. Finan\nCamm, and introduction of bees to St. Modomnoc,--\"It was the full of his\nshoe that Declan brought, the full of his shoe likewise Finan, but the\nfull of his bell Modomnoc\" (Cal. Oeng., April 7th). More puzzling is the\nnote in the same Calendar which makes Declan a foster son of Mogue\nof Ferns! This entry illustrates the way in which errors originate. A\nformer scribe inadvertently copied in, after Declan's name, portion of\nthe entry immediately following which relates to Colman Hua Liathain.\nSuccessive scribes re-copied the error without discovering it and so it\nbecame stereotyped.\n\n\n\n\nLIFE OF ST. DECLAN\n\nor \"BETHA DECCLAIN\"\n\n\n1. The most blessed Bishop Declan of the most noble race of the kings\nof Ireland, i.e., the holy bishop who is called Declan was of the most\nnoble royal family of Ireland--a family which held the sceptre and\nexacted tribute from all Ireland at Tara for ages. Declan was by birth\nof noble blood as will appear from his origin and genealogy, for it was\nfrom Eochaidh Feidhleach, the powerful Ardrigh of Ireland for\ntwelve years, that he sprang. Eochaidh aforesaid, had three sons,\nscil.:--Breas, Nar, and Lothola, who are called the three Finneavna;\nthere reigned one hundred and seven kings of their race and\nkindred before and after them, i.e. of the race of Eremon, king of\nIreland,--before the introduction of Christianity and since. These three\nyouths lay one day with their own sister Clothra, daughter of the\nsame father, and she conceived of them. The son she brought forth as a\nconsequence of that intercourse was marked by three red wavy lines which\nindicated his descent from the three youths aforesaid. He was named\nLugaidh Sriabhdearg from the three lines [sriabaib] in question, and he\nwas beautiful to behold and of greater bodily strength in infancy than\nis usual with children of his age. He commenced his reign as king of\nIreland the year in which Caius Caesar [Caligula] died and he reigned\nfor twenty-six years. His son was named Criomthan Nianair who reigned\nbut sixteen years. Criomthan's son was named Fearadach Finnfechtnach\nwhose son was Fiacha Finnolaidh whose son again was Tuathal Teachtmhar.\nThis Tuathal had a son Felimidh Reachtmhar who had in turn three\nsons--Conn Ceadcathach, Eochaidh Finn, and Fiacha Suighde. Conn was king\nof Ireland for twenty years and the productiveness of crops and soil and\nof dairies in the time of Conn are worthy of commemoration and of fame\nto the end of time. Conn was killed in Magh Cobha by the Ulstermen,\nscil.:--by Tiopruid Tireach and it is principally his seed which has\nheld the kingship of Ireland ever since. Eochaidh Finn was second son\nto Felimidh Reachtmhar and he migrated to the latter's province of\nLeinster, and it is in that province his race and progeny have remained\nsince then. They are called Leinstermen, and there are many chieftains\nand powerful persons of them in Leinster. Fiacha Suighde moreover,\nalthough he died before he succeeded to the chief sovereignty, possessed\nland around Tara. He left three sons--Ross, Oengus, and Eoghan who\nwere renowned for martial deeds--valiant and heroic in battle and in\nconflict. Of the three, Oengus excelled in all gallant deeds so that he\ncame to be styled Oengus of the poisonous javelin. Cormac Mac Art Mac\nConn it was who reigned in Ireland at this time. Cormac had a son named\nCeallach who took by force the daughter of Eoghan Mac Fiacha Suighde\nto dwell with him, i.e. Credhe the daughter of Eoghan. When Oengus\nGaebuaibhtheach (\"of the poisonous javelin\") heard this, viz., that the\ndaughter of his brother had been abducted by Ceallach he was roused to\nfury and he followed Ceallach to Tara taking with him his foster child,\nscil.:--Corc Duibhne, the son of Cairbre, son of Conaire, son of Mogha\nLamha whom Cormac held as a hostage from the Munstermen, and whom he\nhad given for safe custody to Oengus. When Oengus reached Tara he beheld\nCeallach sitting behind Cormac. He thrust his spear at Ceallach and\npierced him through from front to back. However as he was withdrawing\nthe spear the handle struck Cormac's eye and knocked it out and then,\nstriking the steward, killed him. He himself (Oengus) with his foster\nchild escaped safely. After a time Cormac, grieving for the loss of his\nson, his eye and his steward at the hands of Oengus of the poisonous\njavelin and of his kinsmen, ordered their expulsion from their tribal\nterritory, i.e. from the Decies of Tara, and not alone from these, but\nfrom whole northern half of Ireland. However, seven battles were fought\nin which tremendous loss was inflicted on Cormac and his followers\nbefore Oengus and his people, i.e. the three sons of Fiacha Suighde,\nnamely, Ross and Oengus and Eoghan, as we have already said, were\neventually defeated, and obliged to fly the country and to suffer exile.\nConsequent on their banishment as above by the king of Ireland they\nsought hospitality from the king of Munster, Oilill Olum, because\nSadhbh, daughter of Conn Ceadcathach was his wife. They got land from\nhim, scil.: the Decies of Munster, and it is to that race, i.e. the race\nof Eoghan Mac Fiacha Suighde that the kings and country of the Decies\nbelong ever since.\n\n2. Of this same race of Eoghan was the holy bishop Declan of whom\nI shall speak later scil.: Declan son of Eirc, son of Trein, son of\nLughaidh, son of Miaich, son of Brian, son of Eoghan, son of Art\nCorp, son of Moscorb, son of Mesgeadra, son of Measfore, son of Cuana\nCainbhreathaigh, son of Conaire Cathbuadhaigh, son of Cairbre, son\nof Eoghan, son of Fiacha Suighde, son of Felimidh Reachtmhar, son of\nTuathal Teachtmhar. The father of Declan was therefore Erc Mac Trein. He\nand his wife Deithin went on a visit to the house of his kinsman Dobhran\nabout the time that Declan's birth was due. The child she bore was\nDeclan, whom she brought forth without sickness, pain or difficulty but\nin being lifted up afterwards he struck his head against a great stone.\nLet it be mentioned that Declan showed proofs of sanctification\nand power of miracle-working in his mother's womb, as the prophet\nwrites:--\"De vulva sanctificavi te et prophetam in gentibus dedi te\"\n[Jeremias 1:5] (Before thou camest forth out of the womb I sanctified\nthee and made thee a prophet unto the nations). Thus it is that Declan\nwas sanctified in his mother's womb and was given by God as a prophet to\nthe pagans for the conversion of multitudes of them from heathenism\nand the misery of unbelief to the worship of Christ and to the Catholic\nfaith, as we shall see later on. The very soft apex of his head struck\nagainst a hard stone, as we have said, and where the head came in\ncontact with the stone it made therein a hollow and cavity of its\nown form and shape, without injury of any kind to him. Great wonder\nthereupon seized all who witnessed this, for Ireland was at this time\nwithout the true faith and it was rarely that any one (therein) had\nshown heavenly Christian signs. \"Declan's Rock\" is the name of the stone\nwith which the Saint's head came into contact. The water or rain which\nfalls into the before-mentioned cavity (the place of Declan's head)\ndispels sickness and infirmity, by the grace of God, as proof of\nDeclan's sanctity.\n\n3. On the night of Declan's birth a wondrous sign was revealed to all,\nthat is to the people who were in the neighbourhood of the birthplace;\nthis was a ball of fire which was seen blazing on summit of the house in\nwhich the child lay, until it reached up to heaven and down again, and\nit was surrounded by a multitude of angels. It assumed the shape of a\nladder such as the Patriarch, Jacob saw [Genesis 28:12]. The persons who\nsaw and heard these things wondered at them. They did not know (for the\ntrue faith had not yet been preached to them or in this region) that it\nwas God who (thus) manifested His wondrous power (works) in the infant,\nHis chosen child. Upon the foregoing manifestation a certain true\nChristian, scil.:--Colman, at that time a priest and afterwards a holy\nbishop, came, rejoicing greatly and filled with the spirit of prophecy,\nto the place where Declan was; he preached the faith of Christ to the\nparents and made known to them that the child was full of the grace\nof God. He moreover revealed to them the height of glory and honour to\nwhich the infant should attain before God and men, and it was revealed\nto him that he (Declan) should spend his life in sanctity and devotion.\nThrough the grace of God, these, i.e. Erc and Deithin, believed in\nGod and Colman, and they delivered the child for baptism to Colman who\nbaptised him thereupon, giving him the name of Declan. When, in the\npresence of all, he had administered Baptism, Colman spoke this prophecy\nconcerning the infant \"Truly, beloved child and lord you will be in\nheaven and on earth most high and holy, and your good deeds, fame,\nand sanctity will fill all (the four quarters of) Ireland and you will\nconvert your own nation and the Decies from paganism to Christianity.\nOn that account I bind myself to you by the tie of brotherhood and I\ncommend myself to your sanctity.\"\n\n4. Colman thereupon returned to his own abode; he commanded that Declan\nshould be brought up with due care, that he should be well trained, and\nbe set to study at the age of seven years if there could be found in his\nneighbourhood a competent Christian scholar to undertake his tuition.\nEven at the period of his baptism grace and surpassing charity\nmanifested themselves in the countenance of Declan so that it was\nunderstood of all that great should be the goodness and the spiritual\ncharm of his mature age. When Dobhran had heard and seen these things\nconcerning his kinsman Erc he requested the latter and Deithin to give\nhim the child to foster, and with this request Erc complied. The name of\nthe locality was \"Dobhran's Place\" at that time, but since then it has\nbeen \"Declan's Place.\" Dobhran presented the homestead to Declan and\nremoved his own dwelling thence to another place. In after years, when\nDeclan had become a bishop, he erected there a celebrated cell in honour\nof God, and this is the situation of the cell in question:--In the\nsouthern part of the Decies, on the east side of Magh Sgiath and not\nfar from the city of Mochuda i.e. Lismore. For the space of seven years\nDeclan was fostered with great care by Dobhran (his father's brother)\nand was much loved by him. God wrought many striking miracles through\nDeclan's instrumentality during those years. By aid of the Holy Spirit\ndwelling in him he (Declan)--discreet Christian man that he was--avoided\nevery fault and every unlawful desire during that time.\n\n5. On the completion of seven years Declan was taken from his parents\nand friends and fosterers to be sent to study as Colman had ordained. It\nwas to Dioma they sent him, a certain devout man perfect in the faith,\nwho had come at that time by God's design into Ireland having spent a\nlong period abroad in acquiring learning. He (Dioma) built in that place\na small cell wherein he might instruct Declan and dwell himself. There\nwas given him also, to instruct, together with Declan, another child,\nscil., Cairbre Mac Colmain, who became afterwards a holy learned\nbishop. Both these were for a considerable period pursuing their studies\ntogether.\n\n6. There were seven men dwelling in Magh Sgiath, who frequently saw the\nfiery globe which it has been already told they first beheld at the time\nof Declan's birth. It happened by the Grace of God that they were the\nfirst persons to reveal and describe that lightning. These seven came to\nthe place where Declan abode and took him for their director and master.\nThey made known publicly in the presence of all that, later on, he\nshould be a bishop and they spoke prophetically:--\"The day, O beloved\nchild and servant of God, will come when we shall commit ourselves and\nour lands to thee.\" And it fell out thus (as they foretold), for, upon\nbelieving, they were baptised and became wise, devout (and) attentive\nand erected seven churches in honour of God around Magh Sgiath.\n\n7. Declan remained a long time with Dioma, the holy man we have\nnamed, and acquired science and sanctity and diversity of learning and\ndoctrine, and he was prudent, mild, and capable so that many who knew\nhis nobility of blood came when they had heard of the fullness of\nhis sanctity and grace. Moreover they submitted themselves to him and\naccepted his religious rule. Declan judged it proper that he should\nvisit Rome to study discipline and ecclesiastical system, to secure for\nhimself esteem and approbation thence, and obtain authority to preach to\nthe (Irish) people and to bring back with him the rules of Rome as these\nobtained in Rome itself. He set out with his followers and he tarried\nnot till he arrived in Rome where they remained some time.\n\n8. At the same period there was a holy bishop, i.e. Ailbe, who had been\nin Rome for a number of years before this and was in the household of\nPope Hilary by whom he had been made a bishop. When Declan with his\ndisciples arrived in Rome Ailbe received him with great affection and\ngladness and he bore testimony before the Roman people to his (Declan's)\nsanctity of life and nobility of blood. He (Declan) therefore received\nmarks of honour and sincere affection from the people and clergy of Rome\nwhen they came to understand how worthy he was, for he was comely, of\ngood appearance, humble in act, sweet in speech, prudent in counsel,\nfrank in conversation, virtuous in mien, generous in gifts, holy in life\nand resplendent in miracles.\n\n9. When Declan had spent a considerable time in Rome he was ordained a\nbishop by the Pope, who gave him church-books and rules and orders and\nsent him to Ireland that he might preach there. Having bidden farewell\nto the Pope and received the latter's blessing Declan commenced his\njourney to Ireland. Many Romans followed him to Ireland to perform their\npilgrimage and to spend their lives there under the yoke and rule of\nBishop Declan, and amongst those who accompanied him was Runan, son of\nthe king of Rome; he was dear to Declan.\n\n10. On the road through Italy Bishop Declan and Patrick met. Patrick was\nnot a bishop at that time, though he was (made a bishop) subsequently by\nPope Celestinus, who sent him to preach to the Irish. Patrick was truly\nchief bishop of the Irish island. They bade farewell to one another and\nthey made a league and bond of mutual fraternity and kissed in token of\npeace. They departed thereupon each on his own journey, scil.:--Declan\nto Ireland and Patrick to Rome.\n\n11. Declan was beginning mass one day in a church which lay in his road,\nwhen there was sent him from heaven a little black bell, (which came)\nin through the window of the church and remained on the altar before\nDeclan. Declan greatly rejoiced thereat and gave thanks and glory to\nChrist on account of it, and it filled him with much courage to combat\nthe error and false teaching of heathendom. He gave the bell for safe\nkeeping and carriage, to Runan aforesaid, i.e. son of the king of Rome,\nand this is its name in Ireland--\"The Duibhin Declain,\" and it is from\nits colour it derives its name, for its colour is black [dub]. There\nwere manifested, by grace of God and Declan's merits, many miracles\nthrough its agency and it is still preserved in Declan's church.\n\n12. When Declan and his holy companions arrived at the Sea of Icht\n[English Channel] he failed, owing to lack of money, to find a ship, for\nhe did not have the amount demanded, and every ship was refused him on\nthat account. He therefore struck his bell and prayed to God for help in\nthis extremity. In a short time after this they saw coming towards them\non the crest of the waves an empty, sailless ship and no man therein.\nThereupon Declan said:--\"Let us enter the ship in the name of Christ,\nand He who has sent it to us will direct it skilfully to what harbour\nsoever He wishes we should go.\" At the word of Declan they entered in,\nand the ship floated tranquilly and safely until it reached harbour\nin England. Upon its abandonment by Declan and his disciples the ship\nturned back and went again to the place from which it had come and the\npeople who saw the miracles and heard of them magnified the name of\nthe Lord and Declan, and the words of the prophet David were\nverified:--\"Mirabilis Deus in Sanctis Suis [Psalm 67(68):36] (God is\nwonderful in His Saints).\"\n\n13. After this Declan came to Ireland. Declan was wise like a serpent\nand gentle like a dove and industrious like the bee, for as the bee\ngathers honey and avoids the poisonous herbs so did Declan, for he\ngathered the sweet sap of grace and Holy Scripture till he was filled\ntherewith. There were in Ireland before Patrick came thither four holy\nbishops with their followers who evangelized and sowed the word of God\nthere; these are the four:--Ailbe, Bishop Ibar, Declan, and Ciaran.\nThey drew multitudes from error to the faith of Christ, although it was\nPatrick who sowed the faith throughout Ireland and it is he who turned\nchiefs and kings of Ireland to the way of baptism, faith and sacrifice\nand everlasting judgment.\n\n14. These three, scil.:--Declan, Ailbe and Bishop Ibar made a bond of\nfriendship and a league amongst themselves and their spiritual posterity\nin heaven and on earth for ever and they loved one another. SS. Ailbe\nand Declan, especially, loved one another as if they were brothers\nso that, on account of their mutual affection they did not like to be\nseparated from one another--except when their followers threatened to\nseparate them by force if they did not go apart for a very short\ntime. After this Declan returned to his own country--to the Decies of\nMunster--where he preached, and baptized, in the name of Christ, many\nwhom he turned to the Catholic faith from the power of the devil. He\nbuilt numerous churches in which he placed many of his own followers to\nserve and worship God and to draw people to God from the wiles of Satan.\n\n15. Once on a time Declan came on a visit to the place of his birth,\nwhere he remained forty days there and established a religious house in\nwhich devout men have dwelt ever since. Then came the seven men we have\nalready mentioned as having made their abode around Magh Sgiath and as\nhaving prophesied concerning Declan. They now dedicated themselves and\ntheir establishment to him as they had promised and these are their\nnames:--Mocellac and Riadan, Colman, Lactain, Finnlaoc, Kevin, &c.\n[Mobi]. These therefore were under the rule and spiritual sway of bishop\nDeclan thenceforward, and they spent their lives devoutly there and\nwrought many wonders afterwards.\n\n16. After some time Declan set out to visit Aongus MacNatfrich, king\nof Cashel, to preach to him and to convert him to the faith of Christ.\nDeclan however had two uterine brothers, sons of Aongus, scil.: Colman\nand Eoghan. The grace of the Holy Ghost inspiring him Colman went\nto Ailbe of Emly and received baptism and the religious habit at the\nlatter's hands, and he remained for a space sedulously studying science\nuntil he became a saintly and perfect man. Eochaid however remained\nas he was (at home)--expecting the kingdom of Munster on his father's\ndeath, and he besought his father to show due honour to his brother\nDeclan. The king did so and put no obstacle in the way of Declan's\npreaching but was pleased with Declan's religion and doctrine, although\nhe neither believed nor accepted baptism himself. It is said that\nrefusal (of baptism) was based on this ground: Declan was of the Decies\nand of Conn's Half, while Aongus himself was of the Eoghanacht of Cashel\nof Munster--always hostile to the Desii. It was not therefore through\nill will to the faith that he believed not, as is proved from this that,\nwhen the king heard of the coming to him of Patrick, the archbishop of\nIreland, a man who was of British race against which the Irish cherished\nno hate, not only did he believe but he went from his own city of Cashel\nto meet him, professed Christianity and was immediately baptised.\n\n17. After this Declan, having sown the word of God and preached to the\nking (although the latter did not assent to his doctrines), proceeded\nto his own country and they (the Desii) believed and received baptism\nexcept the king alone and the people of his household who were every day\npromising to believe and be baptised. It however came about through the\nDevil's agency that they hesitated continually and procrastinated.\n\n18. Other authorities declare that Declan went many times to Rome, but\nwe have no written testimony from the ancient biographers that he went\nthere more than three times. On one of these occasions Declan paid a\nvisit to the holy bishop of the Britons whose name was David at the\nchurch which is called Killmuine [Menevia] where the bishop dwelt beside\nthe shore of the sea which divides Ireland from Britain. The bishop\nreceived Declan with honour and he remained there forty days, in\naffection and joy, and they sang Mass each day and they entered into a\nbond of charity which continued between themselves and their successors\nfor ever afterwards. On the expiration of the forty days Declan took\nleave of David giving him a kiss in token of peace and set out himself\nand his followers to the shore of the sea to take ship for Ireland.\n\n19. Now the bell which we have alluded to as sent from heaven to Declan,\nwas, at that time, in the custody of Runan to carry as we have said, for\nDeclan did not wish, on any account, to part with it. On this particular\nday as they were proceeding towards the ship Runan entrusted it to\nanother member of the company. On reaching the shore however the latter\nlaid the bell on a rock by the shore and forgot it till they were half\nway across the sea. Then they remembered it and on remembrance they were\nmuch distressed. Declan was very sorrowful that the gift sent him by the\nLord from heaven should have been forgotten in a place where he never\nexpected to find it again. Thereupon raising his eyes heavenward he\nprayed to God within his heart and he said to his followers:--\"Lay\naside your sorrow for it is possible with God who sent that bell in the\nbeginning to send it now again by some marvellous ship.\" Very fully and\nwonderfully and beautifully the creature without reason or understanding\nobeyed its creator, for the very heavy unwieldy rock floated buoyantly\nand without deviation, so that in a short time they beheld it in their\nrear with the bell upon it. And when his people saw this wondrous thing\nit filled them with love for God and reverence for their master. Declan\nthereupon addressed them prophetically:--\"Permit the bell to precede\nyou and follow it exactly and whatsoever haven it will enter into it is\nthere my city and my bishopric will be whence I shall go to paradise and\nthere my resurrection will be.\" Meantime the bell preceded the ship, and\nit eased down its great speed remaining slightly in advance of the ship,\nso that it could be seen from and not overtaken by the latter. The bell\ndirected its course to Ireland until it reached a harbour on the south\ncoast, scil.:--in the Decies of Munster, at an island called, at that\ntime, High Sheep Island [Aird na gCcaorac] and the ship made the same\nport, as Declan declared. The holy man went ashore and gave thanks and\npraise to God that he had reached the place of his resurrection. Now, in\nthat island depastured the sheep belonging to the wife of the\nchieftain of Decies and it is thence that it derives its Irish\nname--Ard-na-Ccaorac, scil.:--there was in it a high hill and it was a\npromontory beautiful to behold. One of the party, ascending the summit\nof the hill, said to Declan:--\"How can this little height support your\npeople?\" Declan replied:--\"Do not call it little hill, beloved son, but\n'great height' [ard mor],\" and that name has adhered to the city ever\nsince, scil.:--Ardmore-Declain. After this Declan went to the king of\nthe Desii and asked of him the aforesaid island. Whereupon the king gave\nit to him.\n\n20. Declan next returned to Ait-mBreasail where, in a haven at the north\nside, were the shipping and boats of the island, plying thither and\nbackwards. The people of the island hid all their boats not willing that\nDeclan should settle there; they dreaded greatly that if Declan came to\ndwell there they themselves should be expelled. Whereupon his disciples\naddressed Declan:--\"Father,\" said they, \"Many things are required\n(scil.: from the mainland) and we must often go by boat to this island\nand there will be (crossing) more frequently when you have gone to\nheaven and we pray thee to abandon the place or else to obtain from God\nthat the sea recede from the land so that it can be entered dry shod,\nfor Christ has said:--'Whatsoever you shall ask of the Father in my\nname He will give it to you' [John 15:16]; the place cannot be easily\ninhabited unless the sea recede from it and on that account you cannot\nestablish your city in it.\" Declan answered them and said:--\"How can I\nabandon the place ordained by God and in which He has promised that my\nburial and resurrection shall be? As to the alleged inconvenience of\ndwelling therein, do you wish me to pray to God (for things) contrary\nto His will--to deprive the sea of its natural domain? Nevertheless in\ncompliance with your request I shall pray to God and whatever thing be\nGod's will, let it be done.\" Declan's community thereupon rose up and\nsaid:--\"Father, take your crosier as Moses took the rod [Exodus 14:16]\nand strike the sea therewith and God will thus show His will to you.\"\nHis disciples prayed therefore to him because they were tried and holy\nmen. They put Declan's crosier in his hand and he struck the water in\nthe name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost and made\nthe sign of the cross over the water and immediately, by command and\npermission of God, the sea commenced to move out from its accustomed\nplace--so swiftly too that the monsters of the sea were swimming and\nrunning and that it was with difficulty they escaped with the sea.\nHowever, many fishes were left behind on the dry strand owing to the\nsuddenness of the ebb. Declan, his crosier in his hand, pursued the\nreceding tide and his disciples followed after him. Moreover the sea\nand the departing monsters made much din and commotion and when Declan\narrived at the place where is now the margin of the sea a stripling\nwhose name was Mainchin, frightened at the thunder of the waves and the\ncry of the unknown monsters with gaping mouths following the (receding)\nwater, exclaimed:--\"Father, you have driven out the sea far enough; for\nI am afraid of those horrid monsters.\" When Declan heard this and (saw)\nthe sea standing still at the word of the youth it displeased him and\nturning round he struck him a slight blow on the nose. Three drops of\nblood flowed from the wound on to the ground in three separate places\nat the feet of Declan. Thereupon Declan blessed the nose and the blood\nceased immediately (to flow). Then Declan declared:--\"It was not I who\ndrove out the sea but God in His own great power who expelled it and He\nwould have done still more had you not spoken the words you have said.\"\nThree little wells of clear sweet water burst forth in the place where\nfell the three drops of blood at the feet of Declan, and these wells are\nthere still and the colour of blood is seen in them occasionally as a\nmemorial of this miracle. The shore, rescued from the sea, is a mile\nin width and is of great length around (the island) and it is good and\nfertile land for tillage and pasture--lying beneath the monastery of\nDeclan. As to the crosier which was in Declan's hand while he wrought\nthis miracle, this is its name--the Feartach Declain, from the\nmiracles and marvels [fertaib] wrought through it. I shall in another,\nsubsequent, place relate some of these miracles (narrated).\n\n21. After the expulsion of the sea by this famous Saint, scil.: Declan,\nwhose name and renown spread throughout Erin because of his great and\ndiverse miracles, he commenced to build a great monastery by the south\nside of the stream which flows through the island into the sea. This\nmonastery is illustrious and beautiful and its name is Ardmor Declain,\nas we have said. After this came many persons to Declan, drawn from the\nuttermost parts of Ireland, by the fame of his holy living; they devoted\nthemselves, soul and body to God and Declan, binding themselves\nbeneath his yoke and his rule. Moreover he built himself in every place\nthroughout the territory of the Decies, churches and monasteries and\nnot alone in his own territory (did he build) but in other regions of\nIreland under tribute to him. Great too were the multitudes (thousands)\nof men and women who were under his spiritual sway and rule, in the\nplaces we have referred to, throughout Ireland, where happily they\npassed their lives. He ordained some of his disciples bishops and\nappointed them in these places to sow the seed of faith and religion\ntherein. Gentleness and charity manifested themselves in Declan to\nsuch an extent that his disciples preferred to live under his immediate\ncontrol and under his direction as subjects than to be in authority in\nanother monastery.\n\n22. After this the holy renowned bishop, head of justice and faith in\nthe Gaelic island came into Ireland, i.e. Patrick sent by Celestinus,\nthe Pope. Aongus Mac Nathfrich went to meet him soon as he heard the\naccount of his coming. He conducted him (Patrick) with reverence and\ngreat honour to his own royal city--to Cashel. Then Patrick baptised him\nand blessed himself and his people and his city. Patrick heard that the\nprince of the Decies had not been baptised and did not believe, that\nthere was a disagreement between the prince and Declan and that the\nformer refused to receive instruction from the latter. Patrick thereupon\nset out to preach to the prince aforesaid. Next, as to the four bishops\nwe have named who had been in Rome: Except Declan alone they were not\nin perfect agreement with Patrick. It is true that subsequently to\nthis they did enter into a league of peace and harmonious actions with\nPatrick and paid him fealty. Ciaran, however, paid him all respect and\nreverence and was of one mind with him present or absent. Ailbe then,\nwhen he saw the kings and rulers of Ireland paying homage to Patrick\nand going out to meet him, came himself to Cashel, to wait on him and he\nalso paid homage to him (Patrick) and submitted to his jurisdiction, in\npresence of the king and all others. Bear in mind it was Ailbe whom the\nother holy bishops had elected their superior. He therefore came first\nto Patrick, lest the others, on his account, should offer opposition to\nPatrick, and also that by his example the others might be more easily\ndrawn to his jurisdiction and rule. Bishop Ibar however would on no\naccount consent to be subject to Patrick, for it was displeasing to him\nthat a foreigner should be patron of Ireland. It happened that Patrick\nin his origin was of the Britons and he was nurtured in Ireland having\nbeen sold to bondage in his boyhood. There arose misunderstanding\nand dissension between Patrick and Bishop Ibar at first, although\n(eventually), by intervention of the angel of peace, they formed a\nmutual fellowship and brotherly compact and they remained in agreement\nfor ever after. But Declan did not wish to disagree at all with Patrick\nfor they had formed a mutual bond of friendship on the Italian highway\nand it is thus the angel commanded him to go to Patrick and obey him:--\n\n23. The angel of God came to Declan and said to him \"Go quickly to\nPatrick and prevent him cursing your kindred and country, for to-night,\nin the plain which is called Inneoin, he is fasting against the king,\nand if he curses your people they shall be accursed for ever.\" Thereupon\nDeclan set out in haste by direction of the angel to Inneoin, i.e. the\nplace which is in the centre of the plain of Femhin in the northern part\nof the Decies. He crossed Slieve Gua [Knockmaeldown] and over the Suir\nand arrived on the following morning at the place where Patrick was.\nWhen Patrick and his disciples heard that Declan was there they welcomed\nhim warmly for they had been told he would not come. Moreover Patrick\nand his people received him with great honour. But Declan made obeisance\nto Patrick and besought him earnestly that he should not execrate his\npeople and that he should not curse them nor the land in which they\ndwelt, and he promised to allow Patrick do as he pleased. And Patrick\nreplied:--\"On account of your prayer not only shall I not curse them but\nI shall give them a blessing.\" Declan went thereupon to the place where\nwas the king of Decies who was a neighbour of his. But he contemned\nPatrick and he would not believe him even at the request of Declan.\nMoreover Declan promised rewards to him if he would go to Patrick to\nreceive baptism at his hands and assent to the faith. But he would not\nassent on any account. When Declan saw this, scil.:--that the king of\nthe Decies, who was named Ledban, was obstinate in his infidelity and\nin his devilry--through fear lest Patrick should curse his race\nand country--he (Declan) turned to the assembly and addressed\nthem:--\"Separate yourselves from this accursed man lest you become\nyourselves accursed on his account, for I have myself baptised and\nblessed you, but come you,\" said he, \"with us, to Patrick, whom God has\nsent to bless you, for he has been chosen Archbishop and chief Patron\nof all Erin; moreover, I have a right to my own patrimony and to be king\nover you as that man (Ledban) has been.\" At this speech they all arose\nand followed Declan who brought them into the presence of Patrick and\nsaid to the latter:--\"See how the whole people of the Deisi have come\nwith me as their Lord to thee and they have left the accursed prince\nwhose subjects they have been, and behold they are ready to reverence\nyou and to obey you for it is from me they have received baptism.\" At\nthis Patrick rose up with his followers and he blessed the people of the\nDeisi and not them alone, but their woods and water and land. Whereupon\nthe chiefs and nobles of the Deisi said:--\"Who will be King or Lord over\nus now?\" And Declan replied:--\"I am your lord and whomsoever I shall\nappoint offer you as lord, Patrick and all of us will bless, and he\nshall be king over you all.\" And he whom Declan appointed was Feargal\nMacCormac a certain young man of the nation of the Deisi who was a\nkinsman of Declan himself. He (Declan) set him in the midst of the\nassembly in the king's place and he was pleasing to all. Whereupon\nPatrick and Declan blessed him and each of them apart proclaimed him\nchieftain. Patrick moreover promised the young man that he should be\nbrave and strong in battle, that the land should be fruitful during his\nreign. Thus have the kings of the Deisi always been.\n\n24. After these things Declan and Feargal Mac Cormac (king of the Deisi)\nand his people gave a large area of land to Patrick in the neighbourhood\nof Magh Feimhin and this belongs to his successors ever since and great\nlordship there. And the place which was given over to him is not far\nfrom the Suir. There is a great very clear fountain there which is\ncalled \"Patrick's Well\" and this was dear to Patrick. After this, with\nblessing, they took leave of one another and Patrick returned to Cashel\nto Aongus Mac Natfrich and Declan went with him.\n\n25. A miracle was wrought at that time on Declan through the\nintercession and prayers of Patrick for as Declan was walking carelessly\nalong he trod upon a piece of sharp iron which cut his foot so that\nblood flowed freely and Declan began to limp. Ailbe of Emly was present\nat this miracle and Sechnall a bishop of Patrick's and a holy and wise\nman, and he is said to be the first bishop buried in Ireland. The wound\nwhich Declan had received grieved them very much. Patrick was informed\nof the accident and was grieved thereat. He said:--\"Heal, O Master (i.e.\nGod), the foot of your own servant who bears much toil and hardship on\nyour account.\" Patrick laid his hand on the wounded foot and made over\nit the sign of the cross when immediately the flow of blood ceased,\nthe lips of the wound united, a cicatrix formed upon it and a cure\nwas effected. Then Declan rose up with his foot healed and joined in\npraising God. The soldiers and fighting men who were present cried out\nloudly, blessing God and the saints.\n\n26. As Patrick and the saints were in Cashel, i.e. Ailbe and Declan with\ntheir disciples, in the territory of Aongus Mac Nathfrich, they made\nmuch progress against paganism and errors in faith and they converted\nthem (the pagans) to Christianity. It was ordained by Patrick and Aongus\nMac Natfrich in presence of the assembly, that the Archbishopric of\nMunster should belong to Ailbe, and to Declan, in like manner, was\nordained (committed) his own race, i.e. the Deisi, whom he had converted\nto be his parish and his episcopate. As the Irish should serve Patrick,\nso should the Deisi serve Declan as their patron, and Patrick made the\n\"rann\":--\n\n\"Humble Ailbe the Patrick of Munster, greater than any saying, Declan,\nPatrick of the Deisi--the Decies to Declan for ever.\"\n\nThis is equivalent to saying that Ailbe was a second Patrick and that\nDeclan was a second Patrick of the Decies. After that, when the king had\nbidden them farewell and they had all taken leave of one another, the\nsaints returned to their respective territories to sow therein the seed\nof faith.\n\n27. Declan and Ferghal Mac Cormac, king of the Deisi, with his army and\nfollowers, met one another at Indeoin and they made still more strong\non the people the bond of Christian obligation. The king we have already\nmentioned, scil.:--Ledban, the recusant to the Christian name, was\nrejected of all and he came to nothing, leaving no knowledge (memory) of\nhis history, as is written of the enemies of the faith:--\"Their memory\nperisheth like a sound\" [Psalm 9:7]. Moreover Declan and Fergal and the\nchief men of the Deisi decreed this as the place where the king of the\nDeisi should be inaugurated for ever thenceforward, because it was there\nPatrick and Declan blessed the king, Fergal; moreover tradition states\nthat it was there the kings were crowned and ruled over the Deisi in\npagan times.\n\n28. At that time there broke out a dreadful plague in Munster and it\nwas more deadly in Cashel than elsewhere. Thus it affected those whom it\nattacked: it first changed their colour to yellow and then killed them.\nNow Aongus had, in a stone fort called \"Rath na nIrlann,\" on the western\nside of Cashel, seven noble hostages. It happened that in one and the\nsame night they all died of the plague. The king was much affected\nthereat and he gave orders to have the fact concealed lest it should\nbring disgrace or even war upon him, for the hostages were scions of the\nstrongest and most powerful families in Munster. On the morrow however\nDeclan came to Cashel and talked with Aonghus. The king welcomed him\nheartily and addressing him said to him in presence of persons of his\ncourt, \"I pray you, Declan, servant of God, that in the name of Christ\nyou would raise to life for me the seven hostages whom I held in bondage\nfrom the chieftains of Munster. They have died from the plague of which\nyou hear, and I fear their fathers will raise war and rebellion against\nme, for they are men of strength and power, and indeed we are ashamed of\ntheir death, for they will say that it is we ourselves who killed them.\"\nDeclan answered the king, saying to him:--\"Such a matter as this--to\nraise one to life from death--belongs to Omnipotence alone--but I shall\ndo whatever is in my power. I go where the bodies lie and pray to God\nfor them and let Him do in their regard what seems best to Him.\" Next,\nDeclan, with a multitude and his disciples together with the king's\ncouncillors, went to the place where the corpses of the young men lay.\nThe king followed after them until he came in sight of the bodies.\nDeclan, full of divine faith, entered the house wherein they lay and he\nsprinkled holy water over them and prayed for them in the presence of\nall, saying:--\"O Lord Jesus Christ, only Son of the living God, for\nthine own name's sake wake the dead that they may be strengthened in\nthe Catholic faith through our instrumentality.\" Thereupon, at Declan's\nprayer, the group (of corpses) revived and they moved their eyelids and\nDeclan said to them \"In the name of Christ, our Saviour, stand up and\nbless and glorify God.\" And at his words they rose up immediately and\nspoke to all. Declan then announced to the king that they were alive and\nwell. When people saw this remarkable miracle they all gave glory and\npraise to God. The fame of Declan thereupon spread throughout Erin and\nthe king rejoiced for restoration of his hostages.\n\n29. After this the people of Cashel besought Bishop Declan to bless\ntheir city and banish the plague from them and to intercede with God for\nthose stricken with sickness who could not escape from its toils. Declan\nseeing the people's faith prayed to God and signed with the sign of\nRedemption the four points of the compass. As he concluded, there was\nverified the saying of Christ to His disciples when leaving them and\ngoing to heaven:--\"Super aegros imponent manus et bene habebunt\" [Mark\n16:18] (\"I shall place my hands on the sick and they shall be healed\").\nSoon as Declan had made the sign of the cross each one who was ill\nbecame well and not alone were these restored to health but (all the\nsick) of the whole region round about in whatsoever place there were\npersons ailing. Moreover the plague was banished from every place and\nall rejoiced greatly thereat as well as on account of the resurrection\nof the dead men we have narrated. The king thereupon ordered tribute and\nhonour to Declan and his successors from himself and from every king\nwho should hold Cashel ever after. Upon this the glorious bishop Declan\nblessed Aongus together with his city and people and returned back to\nhis own place.\n\n30. One night Declan was a guest at the house of a wealthy man who dwelt\nin the southern part of Magh Femhin; this is the kind of person his\nhost was, scil.:--a pagan who rejected the true faith, and his name\nwas Dercan. He resolved to amuse himself at the Christians' expense;\naccordingly he ordered his servants to kill a dog secretly, to cut off\nits head and feet and to bury them in the earth and then to cook the\nflesh properly and to set it before Declan and his company as their\nmeal. Moreover he directed that the dog should be so fat that his flesh\nmight pass as mutton. When, in due course, it was cooked, the flesh,\ntogether with bread and other food, was laid before Declan and his\nfollowing. At that moment Declan had fallen asleep but he was aroused\nby his disciples that he might bless their meal. He observed to\nthem:--\"Indeed I see, connected with this meat, the ministry of the\ndevil.\" Whereupon he questioned the waiters as to the meat--what kind it\nwas and whence procured. They replied: \"Our master ordered us to kill\na fat ram for you and we have done as he commanded.\" Declan said, \"Our\nMaster is Jesus Christ and may He show us what it is that connects the\nministry of Satan with this meat and preserve thy servants from eating\nforbidden food.\" As he spoke thus Declan saw in the meat the claw of a\ndog, for, without intending it, they had boiled one quarter of the\ndog with its paw adhering; they thought they had buried it (the\nincriminating limb) with the other paws. Declan exclaimed, \"This is not\na sheep's but a dog's foot.\" When the attendants heard this they went at\nonce to their master and related the matter to him. Then Dercan came\nto Declan, accepted his faith and received Baptism at his hands, giving\nhimself and his posterity to Declan for ever. Moreover he gave his\nhomestead to Declan and his people were baptised. After this Dercan\nrequested that Declan should bless something in his homestead which\nmight remain as a memorial of him (Dercan) for ever. Then Declan blessed\na bell which he perceived there and its name is Clog-Dhercain (\"Dercan's\nBell\"); moreover, he declared: \"I endow it with this virtue (power) that\nif the king of Decies march around it when going to battle, against his\nenemies, or to punish violation of his rights, he shall return safely\nand with victory.\" This promise has been frequently fulfilled, but proud\n(men) undertaking battle or conflict unjustly even if they march around\nit do not obtain victory but success remains with the enemy. The name of\nthat homestead was Teach-Dhercain (\"Dercain's House\") and its name now\nis Coningean, from the claw [con] of the hound or dog aforesaid. To this\nplace came the saintly concourse, scil:--Coman and Ultan, MacErc and\nMocoba and Maclaisren, who dedicated themselves to (the service of) God\nand placed themselves under the spiritual rule and sway of Declan.\n\n31. Thereupon Declan established a monastery in that place, scil.--in\nConingin--and he placed there this holy community with a further band of\ndisciples. Ultan however he took away with him to the place whither he\nwent.\n\n32. On another (subsequent) occasion Declan visited Bregia, i.e. the\noriginal territory which belonged to his race previous to the expulsion\nof his ancestors. There he was treated with particular honour by the\nking of Tara and by the chieftains of Meath by whom he was beloved,\nsince it was from themselves (their tribe and territory) that his\nforbears had gone out, for that region was the patrimony of his race and\nwithin it lies Tara. Declan instituted therein a monastery of Canons,\non land which he received from the king, and it is from him the place is\nnamed. Moreover he left therein a relic or illuminated book and a famous\ngospel which he was accustomed to carry always with him. The gospel is\nstill preserved with much honour in the place and miracles are wrought\nthrough it. After this again he turned towards Munster.\n\n33. Declan was once travelling through Ossory when he wished to remain\nfor the night in a certain village. But the villagers not only did not\nreceive him but actually drove him forth by force of arms. The saint\nhowever prayed to God that it might happen to them what the Sacred\nScripture says, \"Vengeance is mine I will repay\" [Deuteronomy 32:35].\nThe dwellers in the village, who numbered sixty, died that same night\nwith the exception of two men and ten women to whom the conduct of the\nothers towards the saint had been displeasing. On the morrow these\nmen and women came humbly to the place where Declan was and they told\nhim--what he himself foreknew--how miserably the others had died. They\nthemselves did penance and they bestowed on Declan a suitable site\nwhereon he built a monastery and he got another piece of land and had\nthe dead buried where he built the monastery. The name of that monastery\nis Cill-Colm-Dearg. This Colm-Dearg was a kind, holy man and a disciple\nof Declan. He was of East Leinster, i.e. of the Dal Meiscorb, and it\nis from him that the monastery is named. When he (Declan) had completed\nthat place he came to his own territory again, i.e. to the Decies.\n\n34. On a certain day Declan came to a place called Ait-Breasail and the\ndwellers therein would not allow him to enter their village; moreover\nthey hid all their boats so that he could not go into his own island,\nfor they hated him very much. In consideration however of the sanctity\nof his servant, who prayed in patience, God the All-Powerful turned the\nsea into dry land as you have already heard. Declan passed the night in\nan empty stable out in the plain and the people of the village did not\ngive him even a fire. Whereupon, appropriately the anger of God fell on\nthem, who had not compassion enough to supply the disciple of God with a\nfire. There came fire from heaven on them to consume them all [together\nwith their] homestead and village, so that the place has been ever\nsince a wilderness accursed, as the prophet writes: \"civitates eorum\ndestruxisti\" [Psalm 9:7], i.e. the dwellings of the unmerciful are laid\nwaste.\n\n35. On yet another occasion Declan was in his own region--travelling\nover Slieve Gua in the Decies, when his horse from some cause got lame\nso that he could proceed no further. Declan however, seeing a herd of\ndeer roaming the mountain close to him, said to one of his people: \"Go,\nand bring me for my chariot one of these deer to replace my horse and\ntake with you this halter for him.\" Without any misgiving the disciple\nwent on till he reached the deer which waited quietly for him. He chose\nthe animal which was largest and therefore strongest, and, bringing\nhim back, yoked him to the chariot. The deer thereupon obediently and\nwithout effort carried Bishop Declan till he came to Magh Femhin, where,\nwhen he reached a house of entertainment, the saint unloosed the stag\nand bade him to go free as was his nature. Accordingly, at the command\nof the saintly man and in the presence of all, the stag returned on\nthe same road back (to the mountain). Dormanach is the name of the man\naforesaid who brought the stag to Declan and him Declan blessed and gave\nhim a piece of land on the north of Decies close by the Eoghanacht and\nhis posterity live till now in that place.\n\n36. On another occasion, Declan, accompanied, as usual, by a large\nfollowing, was travelling, when one member of the party fell on the road\nand broke his shin bone in twain. Declan saw the accident and, pitying\nthe injured man, he directed an individual of the company to bandage the\nbroken limb so that the sufferer might not die through excess of pain\nand loss of blood. All replied that they could not endure to dress the\nwound owing to their horror thereof. But there was one of the company,\nDaluadh by name, who faced the wound boldly and confidently and said:\n\"In the name of Christ and of Declan our patron I shall be surgeon to\nthis foot\"; and he said that jestingly. Nevertheless he bandaged the\nfoot carefully and blessed it aright in the name of God and Declan, and\nin a little while the wound healed and they all gave praise to God.\nThen Declan said to Daluadh: \"You promised to be surgeon to that foot\nin Christ's name and in mine and God has vouchsafed to heal it at these\nwords: on this account you will be a true physician for ever and your\nchildren and your seed after you for ever shall also possess the healing\nart, and whomsoever they shall practise healing upon in God's name\nand mine, provided there be no hatred [in their hearts] nor too great\ncovetousness of a physician's fee to him, God and myself shall send\nrelief.\" This promise of Declan has been fulfilled in the case of that\nfamily.\n\n37. On another occasion, as Declan was travelling in the northern part\nof Magh Femhin beside the Suir, he met there a man who was carrying\na little infant to get it baptised. Declan said to the people [his\n\"muinntear,\" or following]: \"Wait here till I baptise yonder child,\" for\nit was revealed by the Holy Ghost to him that he [the babe] should serve\nGod. The attendant replied to him that they had neither a vessel nor\nsalt for the baptism. Declan said: \"We have a wide vessel, the Suir,\nand God will send us salt, for this child is destined to become holy and\nwonderful [in his works].\" Thereupon Declan took up a fistful of earth\nand, making prayer in his heart to God, he signed the clay with the sign\nof the cross of redemption. It (the handful of earth) became white, dry\nsalt, and all, on seeing it, gave thanks and honour to God and Declan.\nThe infant was baptised there and the name of Ciaran given him. Declan\nsaid: \"Bring up my spiritual son carefully and send him, at a fitting\nage, for education to a holy man who is well instructed in the faith for\nhe will become a shining bright pillar in the Church.\" And it was\nthis child, Ciaran Mac Eochaidh, who founded in after years a famous\nmonastery (from which he migrated to heaven) and another place\n(monastery) besides. He worked many miracles and holy signs and this is\nthe name of his monastery Tiprut [Tubrid] and this is where it is:--in\nthe western part of the Decies in Ui Faithe between Slieve Grot [Galtee]\nand Sieve Cua and it is within the bishopric of Declan.\n\n38. On another day there came a woman to Declan's monastery not far from\nthe city where she dwelt. She committed a theft that day in Declan's\nmonastery as she had often done previously, and this is the thing\nshe stole--a \"habellum\" [possibly an item of tribute]; she departed\nhomewards taking it with her and there met her a group of people on the\nhighway, and the earth, in their presence, swallowed her up, and she\ncast out the tabellum from her bosom and it was quickly turned into a\nstone which the wayfarers took and brought with them to Declan. Declan\nhimself had in supernatural vision seen all that happened to the woman\nin punishment of her theft, and the name of Declan was magnified owing\nto those marvels so that fear took possession of all-those present and\nthose absent. The stone in question remains still in Declan's graveyard\nin his own town of Ardmore-Declain, where it stands on an elevated place\nin memory of this miracle.\n\n39. A rich man named Fintan was childless, for his wife was barren for\nmany years. He himself, with his wife, visited Declan and promised large\nalms and performance of good works provided he (Declan) would pray that\nthey might have children: they held it as certain that if Declan but\nprayed for them God would grant them children. Declan therefore, praying\nto God and blessing the pair, said: \"Proceed to your home and through\nGod's bounty you shall have offspring.\" The couple returned home, with\ngreat joy for the blessing and for the promise of the offspring. The\nfollowing night, Fintan lay with his wife and she conceived and brought\nforth twin sons, scil.: Fiacha and Aodh, who, together with their\nchildren and descendants were under tribute and service to God and\nDeclan.\n\n40. When it was made known to a certain holy man, scil.:--Ailbe of Emly\nIubar, chief bishop of Munster, that his last days had come, he said to\nhis disciples: \"Beloved brethren, I wish, before I die, to visit my very\ndear fellow worker, scil.:--Declan.\" After this Ailbe set out on the\njourney and an angel of God came to Declan notifying him that Ailbe was\non his way to visit him. On the angel's notification Declan ordered his\ndisciples to prepare the house for Ailbe's coming. He himself went\nto meet Ailbe as far as the place which is called Druim Luctraidh\n[Luchluachra]. Thence they came home together and Ailbe, treated with\ngreat honour by Declan and his people, stayed fourteen pleasant\ndays. After that the aged saint returned home again to his own city,\nscil.:--to Emly Iubar. Declan came and many of his people, escorting\nAilbe, to Druim Luchtradh, and Ailbe bade him return to his own city.\nThe two knew they should not see one another in this world ever again.\nIn taking leave of one another, therefore, they shed plentiful tears\nof sorrow and they instituted an everlasting compact and league between\ntheir successors in that place. Ailbe moreover blessed the city of\nDeclan, his clergy and people and Declan did the same for Ailbe and they\nkissed one another in token of love and peace and each returned to his\nown city.\n\n41. On a certain day the Castle of Cinaedh, King of the Deisi, took fire\nand it burned violently. It happened however that Declan was proceeding\ntowards the castle on some business and he was grieved to see it\nburning; he flung towards it the staff to which we have referred in\nconnection with the drying up of the sea, and it (the staff) flew\nhovering in the air with heavenly wings till it reached the midst of\nthe flame and the fire was immediately extinguished of its own accord\nthrough the grace of God and virtue of the staff and of Declan to whom\nit belonged. The place from which Declan cast the staff was a long mile\ndistant from the castle and when the king, i.e. Cinaedh, and all the\nothers witnessed this miracle they were filled with amazement and gave\nthanks to God and to Declan when they came to know that it was he who\nwrought it. Now the place where the castle stands is not far from the\nSuir, i.e. on the south side of it and the place from which Declan cast\nthe staff is beside a ford which is in the Suir or a stream which flows\nbeside the monastery called Mag Laca [Molough] which the holy virgins,\ndaughters of the king of Decies, have built in honour of God. There is a\npile of stones and a cross in the place to commemorate this miracle.\n\n42. On another occasion there approached a foreign fleet towards\nDeclan's city and this was their design--to destroy and to plunder it of\npersons and of cattle, because they (the foreigners) were people hostile\nto the faith. Many members of the community ran with great haste to tell\nDeclan of the fleet which threatened the town and to request him to beg\nthe assistance of God against the invaders. Declan knew the man amongst\nhis own disciples who was holiest and most abounding in grace, scil.,\nUltan, already mentioned, and him he ordered to pray to God against the\nfleet. Ultan had pity on the Christian people and he went instantly, at\nthe command of Declan, in front of the fleet and he held his left hand\nagainst it, and, on the spot, the sea swallowed them like sacks full of\nlead, and the drowned sailors were changed into large rocks which stand\nnot far from the mouth of the haven where they are visible (standing)\nhigh out of the sea from that time till now. All Christians who\nwitnessed this rejoiced and were glad and they gave great praise and\nglory to God and to Declan their own patron who caused the working of\nthis miracle and of many other miracles besides. Next there arose a\ncontention between Ultan and Declan concerning this miracle, for Ultan\nattributed it to Declan and Declan credited it to Ultan; and it\nhas become a proverb since in Ireland when people hear of danger or\njeopardy:--\"The left hand of Ultan against you (the danger).\" Ultan\nbecame, after the death of Declan, a miracle-working abbot of many other\nholy monks.\n\n43. The holy and glorious archbishop, i.e. Patrick, sent one of his\nown followers to Declan with power and authority (delegation) from the\narchbishop. And proceeding through the southern part of Decies he\nwas drowned in a river [the Lickey] there, two miles from the city of\nDeclan. When Declan heard this he was grieved and he said: \"Indeed it\ngrieves me that a servant of God and of Patrick who sent him to visit\nme, having travelled all over Ireland, should be drowned in a river of\nmy own territory. Get my chariot for me that I may go in haste to see\nhis corpse, so that Patrick may come to hear of the worry and the grief\nI have undergone because of his disciple's death.\" The body had been\nrecovered before the arrival of Declan by others who were close at hand\nand it had been placed on a bier to be carried to Ciaran for interment.\nDeclan however met them on the way, when he ordered the body to be laid\ndown on the ground. They supposed he was about to recite the Office\nfor the Dead. He (Declan) advanced to the place where the bier was\nand lifted the sheet covering the face. It (the face) looked dark and\ndeformed as is usual in the case of the drowned. He prayed to God\nand shed tears, but no one heard aught of what he said. After this he\ncommanded:--\"In the name of the Trinity, in the name of the Father and\nof the Son and of the Holy Ghost whose religious yoke I bear myself,\narise to us for God has given your life to me.\" He (the dead man) rose\nup immediately at the command and he greeted Declan and all the others.\nWhereupon Declan and his disciples received him with honour. At first\nhe was not completely cured but (was) like one convalescent until\n(complete) health returned to him by degrees again. He however\naccompanied Declan and remained some time with him and there was much\nrejoicing in Declan's city on account of the miracle and his (Declan's)\nname and fame extended over the country generally. This disciple of\nPatrick was named Ballin; he returned with great joy and he told him\n(Patrick) that Declan had raised him from the dead. To many others\nlikewise he related what had happened to him. Patrick, in presence of\nmany persons, hearing of the miracle gave glory and thanks to God and\nthe name of Declan was magnified.\n\n44. With this extraordinary miracle wrought by Declan we wish to\nconclude our discourse. The number of miracles he wrought, but which are\nnot written here, you are to judge and gather from what we have written.\nAnd we wish moreover that you would understand that he healed the\ninfirm, that he gave sight to the eyes of the blind, cleansed lepers,\nand gave \"their walk\" to cripples; that he obtained hearing for the\ndeaf, and that he healed many and various diseases in many different\nplaces throughout Ireland--(things) which are not written here because\nof their length and because they are so numerous to record, for fear it\nshould tire readers to hear so much said of one particular person. On\nthat account we shall pass them by.\n\n45. When Declan realised that his last days were at hand and that\nthe time remaining to him was very short he summoned to him his own\nspiritual son, scil., MacLiag (residing) in the monastery which is on\nthe eastern side of the Decies close to the Leinstermen in order that,\nat the hour of death, he might receive the Body and Blood of Christ and\nthe Sacraments of the Church from his hands. Thereupon he foretold to\nhis disciples the day of his death and he commanded them to bring him to\nhis own city, for it was not there he dwelt at the time but in a small\nvenerable cell which he had ordered to be built for him between the hill\ncalled Ardmore Declain and the ocean--in a narrow place at the brink of\nthe sea by which there flows down from the hill above a small shining\nstream about which are trees and bushes all around, and it is called\nDisert Declain. Thence to the city it is a short mile and the reason why\nDeclan used go there was to avoid turmoil and noise so that he might be\nable to read and pray and fast there. Indeed it was not easy for him to\nstay even there because of the multitude of disciples and paupers\nand pilgrims and beggars who followed him thither. Declan was however\ngenerous and very sympathetic and on that account it is recorded by\ntradition that a great following (of poor, &c.), generally accompanied\nhim and that moreover the little cell was very dear to him for the\nreason we have given, and many devout people have made it their practice\nto dwell therein.\n\n46. When Declan fell ill and became weak in body, but still strong in\nhope and faith and love of God, he returned to his own city--his people\nand disciples and clergy surrounding him. He discoursed to them on the\ncommands of God and he enjoined on them to live holily after his death,\nto be submissive to authority and to follow as closely as possible the\nway he had marked out and to preserve his city in a state of piety\nand under religious rule. And when they had all heard the discourse it\ngrieved them greatly to perceive, from what he had said, he realised\nthat in a short time he would go away to heaven from them. But they were\nconsoled by his gentle words and then there came to him the holy man,\nto wit, MacLiag, at his own request, already referred to. He [Declan]\nreceived the Body and Blood of Christ and the Sacraments of the Church\nfrom his [MacLiag's] hand--surrounded by holy men and his disciples,\nand he blessed his people and his dependents and his poor, and he kissed\nthem in token of love and peace. Thus, having banished images and the\nsacrifices to idols, having converted multitudes to the true faith,\nhaving established monasteries and ecclesiastical orders in various\nplaces, having spent his whole life profitably and holily, this glorious\nbishop went with the angels to heaven on the ninth day of the Kalends of\nAugust and his body was blessed and honoured with Masses and chanting\nby holy men and by the people of the Decies and by his own monks and\ndisciples collected from every quarter at the time of his death. He was\nburied with honour in his own city--in Declan's High-Place--in the tomb\nwhich by direction of an angel he had himself indicated--which moreover\nhas wrought wonders and holy signs from that time to now. He departed\nto the Unity of the Father and the Son and the Holy Ghost in Saecula\nSaeculorum; Amen. FINIS.\n\n\nThe poor brother, Michael O'Clery originally copied this life of Declan\nin Cashel, from the book of Eochy O'Heffernan. The date, A.D., at which\nthat ancient book of Eochy was written is 1582. And the same life has\nnow been re-written in the Convent of the Friars at Druiske, the date,\nA.D., 27th February, 1629.\n\nAnd this Life of St. Declan was transcribed electronically for the\npublic domain by Dennis McCarthy, a layman, in the city of Atlanta in\nGeorgia of the United States of America. He copied this life from the\n1914 translation from the Irish to the English tongue by Rev. P. Power\nof University College, Cork. Dennis has completed this work on February\n27 in the year of Our Lord 1997, and prayerfully dedicated it to the\nmemory of his deceased siblings.\n\n\n\n\nNOTE\n\n\nThe Irish text of the \"rann\" from paragraph 26 reads:\n\n  Ailbe umal; Patraicc Muman, mo gacrath,\n  Declan, Patraicc na nDeisi: na Deisi ag Declan gan brat.\n\n\nAnd the Latin rendering:\n\n     Albeus est humilis dixit Caephurnia proles;\n     Patriciusque esto hinc Ailbee Momonia.\n     Declanus pariter patronus Desius esto;\n     Inter Desenses Patriciusque suos.\n\n\n\n\n     +-------------------------------------------+\n     |                                           |\n     |                        __   __---_        |\n     |                  ,-~~~  ~\\/      ~\\       |\n     |                ,_/                 |      |\n     |                /,_                   /    |\n     |           _       _/                 ~\\   |\n     |        /~~ ~\\/~-_|                    /   |\n     |       \\                            /~     |\n     |       \\ _                       _\\/       |\n     |        ,'                     |           |\n     |       /~                Tara    \\         |\n     |       \\                     *    |        |\n     |        '~|__-                    /        |\n     |        .-,/~                    \\         |\n     |           |                      /        |\n     |          /                       |        |\n     |        /_,_/~                    |        |\n     |        /         Cashel         /         |\n     |   ,--~             *           |          |\n     |   /---                   __|_-_/          |\n     |  ,-~                -,-~                  |\n     |   \\_-~/          \\ /~ *                   |\n     |   ,-~/=        _/~   Ardmore              |\n     |    --~/_-_-/~'~                           |\n     |                                           |\n     +-------------------------------------------+\n     |              MAP OF IRELAND               |\n     +-------------------------------------------+\n\n\n\nTRANSCRIBER'S NOTE\n\nThe source for this text includes an introduction, Irish text & English\ntranslation on facing pages, and notes. The introduction and the notes\nare quite lengthy and should take longer to transcribe than the English\ntext. Except for the part of the introduction specific to the \"Life of\nDeclan\" and a few notes transplanted in brackets to the body of the text\nI have not transcribed them. Due to inexperience with the Irish language\nand its alphabet/font I have decided not to attempt to transcribe the\nIrish text. Hopefully someone with the appropriate talent and interest\nwill undertake that task some day. I have corrected the errata as\nindicated in the source and a few obvious printer errors. Please note\nthat this text is full of variant spellings of names and words sometimes\ninconsistently applied.","title":"The Life of St. Declan of Ardmore","tradition":"scripture-revelation","translated_text":null,"word_count":15709}