ON SAINT IBARUS,
BISHOP OF IRELAND.
6TH CENTURY
CommentaryIbarus Bishop of Ireland (S.)
By the author G. H.
The ancient Martyrology of the monastery of Tamhlacht in the first place on this April 23 has these things about this Saint: Sacred cult 23 April. Ibarus Bishop, whose Church is in Beg-ere, which is an island in the deep sea opposite Kinn-selagh. The Four-Masters from the most ancient Annals of Cluain, Inis and Senat confirm these in these words: S. Ibarus in his Beg-ere island died on the 9th Kalends. The same in the Ulster Annals is handed down to be indicated, Ussher reports, On the Beginnings of the British Churches page 1062. An illustrious testimony concerning S. Ibarus himself is had in the Acts of S. Abban his disciple, and is of this sort. Innumerable holy monks, Clerics and nuns in diverse places through all Ireland at that time were under the mastery of S. Ibarus. But the blessed Bishop Ibarus in his most famous and excellent monastery, which is called Beg-ere, dwelt more than in other places, because he loved that place much. But that monastery is in the Southern part of Hua-Kensalach, monastery and burial in the island Beg-ere in an island surrounded by the sea, and the island and monastery are called by one name, that is Beg-erin, which is interpreted in Latin Little Ireland. In that monastery the Relics of the most blessed Bishop Ibarus lie and are honorably worshipped: and the place itself is honored by the Irish greatly for the name of S. Ibarus, because he himself was one, an excellent dispenser of the divine teaching, of the prior preachers whom God chose, that they should convert the Irish from paganism to the faith of Christ.
[2] These things from the said Life of S. Abban Ussher page 794, who in the Addenda page 1062 from the same Life transmits these: Abban at twelve years old, with himself willing and with both parents consenting, was handed over to be educated in secular letters, and for the purpose of taking for five years the increases of piety and heavenly knowledge to his uncle S. Ibarus the Bishop, to whom from all parts of Ireland, for the sake of learning sacred letters and other liberal arts, a great multitude of Clerics, monks and others used to flow together, in his once most famous and most holy monastery which is called Beg-ere, that is Little Ireland, and is situated on the Southern part of the region of Hua-Kensellach, in the province of Leinster on the coast in a modest island. near Wexford. These things Ussher has there from the said Life of S. Abban, who on page 794, from the Life of the Virgin Movenna or Modwenna, places the island of Beg-erii near Wexford, where namely the geographic maps indicate Beg-Ilant. In the Litanies of Aengus are said to be invoked for help through Jesus Christ three times fifty most holy monks, instructed under the discipline of S. Ibarus.
[3] Jocelin in the Life of S. Patrick on the 17 March, illustrated by us num. 73 when the son of a certain Regulus was torn by swine, Whether at the bidding of S. Patrick he raised the dead, Patrick enjoined two Bishops, Elbeus and Hibarus, disciples, that they should restore the dead boy to the living, adding that he would help them to doing so with his prayers. The Pontiffs obeyed their Father Patrick commanding, and aided by his prayers restored the boy torn and mangled, not only to life but also to entire health, and to his former beauty and strength. The Regulus therefore believed, and with all his household and the people subject to him was baptized. These things are there: and in other Lives of S. Patrick published by Colgan they are also indicated, and attributed by him to S. Ibarus, about whom we here treat; as also those things which in the Life of S. Brigid are said, that she went to S. Ibarus, and received S. Brigid. and ate of bacon set before her by him in Lent, when other food was lacking, and filled his granary with grain by the power of God. Which things attributed by Colgan to this S. Ibarus on the Kalends of February we have said and followed. We have also some Acts of S. Ibarus, but in our judgment stuffed with many fables, and therefore not fitting enough to be inserted in this our work.
[4] Time of the Life. That all may be attributed to one Ibarus, he is said to have lived for three centuries. S. Abban his nephew went to Rome to Gregory I the Pontiff, so that hence we may gather that S. Ibarus flourished in the sixth century of Christ. What on 17 March in the Appendix to the Life of S. Patrick § I was said may be consulted: whence it will appear how little faith deserve the above cited Acts of S. Abban, in which S. Ibarus is made to have preached in Ireland before S. Patrick: which therefore have been alleged by us for this alone, that even from them might be established the sanctity of S. Ibarus most known among the Irish; although obscured by them with many fables and miracles of portentous birth and childhood, from which would that the Lives themselves of SS. Patrick and Brigid were pure. But also the collectors of those Lives disturbed all the chronology of the Saints, since they omitted no one of the more celebrated, whose name they did not insert into the same Lives, as if of the foresaid Saints coeval and familiar, or certainly known beforehand by them, as if within the number of years definitely signed they were to come into this light.