Brenan and Companions

ON SS. BRENAN AND COMPANIONS: CANAN, FINNTINA, BIGILL, AILTIN, CAOMHOG, COLMAN, A SECOND COLMAN, LONAN, CRONAN, AEDH, MARTAN, THE THREE SONS OF DIOMA, AND THE SEVEN BISHOPS OF CILL-TEDIL, IRISH SAINTS,

Brenan, in Ireland. (S.)

Canan, in Ireland. (S.)

Finntina, in Ireland. (S.)

Bigill, in Ireland. (S.)

Ailtin, in Ireland. (S.)

Caomhog, in Ireland. (S.)

Colman, in Ireland. (S.)

A second Colman, in Ireland. (S.)

Lonan, in Ireland. (S.)

Cronan, in Ireland. (S.)

Ædh, in Ireland. (S.)

Dichull, Martan, in Ireland. (S.)

Martan, in Ireland. (S.)

The three sons of Dioma, in Ireland. (SS.)

The seven bishops of Cill-Tedil, in Ireland. (SS.)

BY C. D. S.

The saints celebrated in the Irish martyrologies on this day, In the Festilogium of Ængus there are announced at this day Lonan, Colman, Cronan with their conspicuous following [Edit. Whitley Stokes, p. clxii. On Ængus and his martyrology see O'Curry, Mss. materials of ancient Irish history, p. 363 ff. More briefly V. De Buck, Recherches sur les calendriers ecclésiastiques in the Periodical Précis historiques, year 1877, p. 67.] . These names alone are also read in the Drummond calendar: And in Ireland the feast of the holy confessors Lonan, Colman and Cronan Kalendars of scottish saints, Ed. Forbes, p. 26. . But many more in Marianus O'Gorman On whom see O'Curry, op. cit., p. 361; De Buck, l. c., p. 68. and thence in Michael O'Clery in the Martyrology of Donegal; for, as I do not know whether it has been sufficiently noticed, this Martyrology of Donegal is largely excerpted from Gorman, the saints other than Irish being omitted and some little notes being added from time to time. Here then for you is the list of the saints of both together at the 1st day of November, in which what is proper to the Donegal we have enclosed in brackets: the rest is common to both. The text of Marianus, still unpublished, we have excerpted from a codex of the royal library of Brussels N. 5100–5104, fol. 185 V°. .

Cairpre * bishop. [There exists a certain Cill Cairpre, i.e. the church of Carpreus, in Tir Aedha, near Eas-Ruaidh and Sith-Aedha of Eas-Ruaidh.]

Ailtin bishop and virgin, of Cill-insi.

The seven bishops of Cill-Tidil.

Brughach, bishop of Rath-maighe-hAenaigh sprung from the family of Colla-da-Crioch.

Lonan, of Trefoit in Bregha at the Boyne river.

There follows here a rather prolix note on the origin of the name Trefoit, then another on the names of the parents of Lonan, which we shall recall below, where we shall speak more distinctly of this saint No. 10 end.

Brenann.

Colman, son of Fionan, of Ath-Iomglaisse.

Colman.

Cronan, of Maethail.

Canan.

Finntina, virgin, of Cluain-Guithbinn.

Aedh, son of Roi, of Foibren.

Bigill, of Tulach.

Dicholl, of Rath. But this name of a place, as we shall note below, is to be referred to Martan.

Martan, of Inis-edhnigh, [sprung from the family of Conall Each-luath, who was of the family of Corbmac Cas, son of Oilioll Olum].

Caemhoc, of Cill-insi.

Cronan, of Tuaim-Greine in Tuadhmumhain.

Finally, in a certain calendar published in English by the distinguished W. Reeves Ecclesiastical antiquities of Down, Connor and Dromore, p. 376 ff. (which however he does not indicate from where it is drawn or how ancient it is), at the same day, the 1st of November, there are praised St. Ailtin, bishop of Kill-innsi, St. Anog of Kill-innsi and St. Caomh, virgin, of Kill-innsi.

[2] who however perhaps were not all honoured with a legitimate ecclesiastical cult. Of St. Brugacius and St. Carpreus we shall soon treat more distinctly. The rest we join here together, not because anything occurs in their history common to all, but because we have few things to note about each. But also we cannot vindicate the legitimate ecclesiastical cult of each from anything other than the martyrology of Gorman, other documents being lacking. Further, although that martyrology was composed in the 12th century, a suspicion can not undeservedly perhaps arise that in that work there is presented not any pure martyrology, but also a necrology, or that there are mingled with it not a few names of men and women notable for the foundation of some church or for benefits conferred on it, or who had pertained to it by some other title, although they were never deemed worthy of the honours of the blessed. This seems altogether certain of a similar document, namely the Martyrology of Tallaght, composed at the very end of the 9th century, where more than once occurs the announcement of all the monks of some monastery V. De Buck, opusc. cit., p. 67. .

[3] Brenan, Canan, Finntina, Of Brenann and Canan indeed we have discovered nothing at all, except that like names are found marked also at other days in Gorman and O'Clery, namely of Brenann at the days 9 January, 8 and 16 May, 27 July, 3 and 29 November, 1, 8 and 13 December; and of Canan at the 4th day of November, with the title of presbyter added. And if anyone should wish to suppose that name the same as Cuanan or Cuan, many other namesakes besides can be indicated in the Irish martyrologies Cf. Colgan, Act. SS. Hib., p. 251, note 2 and p. 650, col. 2. . Nothing also is ascertained by us either concerning Finntina the virgin or concerning the place Cluain-Guithbhinn, where she is said to have dwelt or to be venerated.

[4] Bigill, Nothing likewise of St. Bigill. As to the name of the place, however, it may be observed that the word Tulach, which signifies a hill, enters into the name of many towns and villages [Cf. Index to the Annals of the Four Masters, Ed. O'Donovan, vol. VII, pp. 114–115, 109; Joyce, Irish Names of places, pp. 355–356.] . Sometimes this name occurs also without any addition. Thus in two places of the Tripartite Life of St. Patrick according to Colgan's edition Part II, chs. 130 and 133 (Trias Thaum. pp. 146, 147). it is narrated that St. Patrick founded in the region of Dalaradia the church of Tulach (yet it is to be noted that in the English version of the distinguished W. Hennessy in both places another name is added to the word Tulach or Telach) The Life of S. Patrick, by M. F. Cusack, pp. 441, 442. , both of which the distinguished W. Reeves judges to be situated in the ancient diocese of Connor, in County Antrim Eccl. antiq. of Down and Connor, pp. 251, 322, 338. . There was also a parish by the name of Tullagh in County Cork [O'Donovan, The genealogy of Corca Laidhre, in Miscellany of the Celtic Society, 1849, pp. 99, 106, 138, 139.] , another in County Mayo O'Donovan, The genealogies, etc. of Hy-Fiachrach, p. 196. , and besides Cill-Tulach (today Kiltullagh), i.e. the church of the hill or on the hill, in County Galway O'Donovan, The tribes and customs of Hy-Many, p. 78. . But to which of these or other places marked with that name St. Bigill is to be attributed (masculine or feminine) is altogether uncertain to us.

[5] Anog, Now of the saints of Kill-innsi, whom the Reeves calendar reckons as three in number Cf. above, no. 1 end. , Ailtin, Anog and Caomh. And the first and third indeed the martyrologies of Marianus

and of Donegal also mention Cf. ibid. , yet not the second, of whom neither have I found mention anywhere in other documents. But in the martyrology of Marianus, above the word Ailtin, I have noticed this little note added by a scholiast: et an inghen og o Cill innse, that is, and their (his?) virgin daughter of Cill-innse. To one considering which, perhaps it might not absurdly come to mind that the author of the Reeves calendar, or some other whom he followed, when excerpting his Killinsi saints from this martyrology, the word inghen being passed over for I know not what reason, joined the words an og so that he made of them one name, and at last read in one continuous tenor: Ailtin and Anog of Kill-innse. Certainly, as we have already noted, nothing is found noted anywhere else about St. Anog.

[6] Ailtin, From the same little note I suspect there is derived the title of virgin added to the name of Ailtin in Michael O'Clery. But how the title of bishop came to adhere to the same Ailtin I plainly do not comprehend. Certainly no other bishop of Kill-innse is known, today Killinchy, a hamlet of the ancient diocese and county of Down [W. Reeves, Eccles. antiq., p. 10, note d (cf. pp. 166, 179). Cf. Joyce, pp. 288 ff., 399.] . And so, if there truly lived there a certain Ailtin adorned with the episcopal dignity, he must be judged to have been of the number of those bishops who were customarily ordained in Ireland without a fixed see Cf. Reeves, ibid., p. 123 ff.; Act. SS., vol. XII Oct., pp. 888–889. .

[7] Caomh, The name Caomhoc or Caemhog, as it is read in Marianus and O'Clery, the author of the Reeves calendar so divided as to interpret the last syllable as being the Irish word ogh, that is, virgin, although the suffix oc, like in, en and especially an, signifies the diminutive form of names [Colgan, Act. SS. Hib., p. 71 note 3; Zeuss, Grammatica Celtica (Ed. Ebel, 1871), p. 273; Act. SS., vol. II Jan., p. 1111, n. 2.] , which form, as commonly in the Teutonic languages, so also in the old Irish tongue was customarily employed to express the affection of respect and love. And since the same must be said of the prefix Mo (which properly means my) [Colgan, Act. SS. Hib., p. 71, note 2, and elsewhere passim. Cf. Act. SS., vol. II Jan., l. c.; vol. XII Oct., pp. 416, 420.] , hence it comes about that the names Caomh or Caoimh or Coemh (for among the ancient Irish too, as Colgan again notes Loc. cit. , oe is frequently written where the more recent write ao or aoi), Caomhan, Coemhin, Coemhog, Mochoamoc or Mochoemog, and whatever similar ones there are, are to be held as altogether synonymous Cf. Colgan, Tr. Thaum., p. 177, note 88. . Further, since very many saints occur in Irish monuments designated by some one of these names, yet none, apart from in our martyrologies, who is especially notable for dwelling in Kill-innse, we have at hand nothing further to say about ours.

[8] Colman. Nor must the pronouncement be otherwise about Colman, son of Fionan, of Ath-Iomglaisse. For more than a hundred and fifty saints of this name are reckoned in the monuments of the Irish Colgan, Tr. Thaum., p. 480, n. 8. . To none of whom is attributed a father Fionan or a dwelling at Ath-Imglasse, a village, namely, situated in the extreme northern part of County Sligo, which today has the name Ahamlish Reeves, Life of S. Columba, by Adamnan, p. 287. .

[9] The second Colman, To the name of the other Colman, who with Cronan and Lonan is referred to this day in the Festilogium of Ængus, this note is added from the most celebrated Leabhar Brecc or Varied Book Cf. Eug. Curry, Mss. materials of ancient Irish history, p. 352. : Colman, son of Dimma, from Tech-mic-Dimmai i.e. the house or church of the son of Dimma in Ui-Cellaig Chualann and of Daire-mic-Dimmai i.e. the oakwood of the son of Dimma, near Cluain Ednech. Or Colman, son of Findchad, i.e. of Cluain Bruices near Flesc in Munster, who was first in Dun Flesce Calendar of Œngus, Ed. Whitley Stokes, p. clxvii (cf. p. 29). .

[10] Lonan That a twofold Lonan could have been designated in this place in the Festilogium of Ængus is indicated by the annotation added in the Leabhar Brecc, in these words: Lonan, son of Talmach, of Trefot in Bregia. Or Lonan, son of Telchan, of Cluain-Fota in Leix Ibid. . And O'Donovan says that Lonan son of Talmach is announced in Ængus at the 13th day of November Annal. Quat. Mag., vol. I, p. 336, note a. , but wrongly: for no Lonan is announced either on the 13th or on any other day of this month except the first, whether in the three codices from which the Festilogium has recently been edited or in the Brussels codex, copied by Michael O'Clery, which we have before our eyes. And Michael himself, after Gorman and his scholiast, marks at this 1st day Lonan, son of Tamlach, and of Trefoit (others: Treoit) in Bregia, at the river Boyne, and adds a note excerpted from the Leabhar-na-hUidhri O'Donovan, l. c. , by which the origin of the name Trefoit is explained, and besides four verses from another ancient document, by which it is indicated that the mother of our saint was Dustric, daughter of Trust, king of northern Britain (which today is properly called Scotland).

[11] of Trefoit, William Reeves conjectures Loc. cit. that our Lonan was the founder of the monastery of Trifod (Treoit, Trevit-mor, Trefoit-mor, today Trevet in County Meath) Cf. O'Donovan, ibid.; W. Reeves, Adamnan, p. 76, note a. . Abbots of that monastery are named in the Annals of the Four Masters at the years 769, 808, 838, 885, 906, 917, 1004, bishops at the years 769 and 898, scribes at the years 734 and 769, and besides at the year 788 an airchineach or hereditary guardian of the church Cf. O'Donovan, note on this place. . But Lonan of Trefoit appears only in our martyrologies.

[12] Cronan, Cronan, in the annotation added in the Varied Book to Ængus Calendar of Œngus, p. clxvii. , is said to have been of the family of Conn or Cuan (that most celebrated king of Ireland, namely, who in the Annals is commonly called Cuan of the Hundred Battles) and of Tuaim Grene in northern Munster, today Tomgraney in County Clare, where once there was to be seen a by no means ignoble church, to which there was attached a round tower: this was built by Cormac Hua-Killene, comorban (i.e. successor) [Cf. Lanigan, Eccl. Hist. of Ireland, vol. III, p. 37, note 117; Todd, St Patrick, pp. 155–159; J. O'Donovan, Hy-Many, p. 77-78, notes y, z, and p. 138, note a.] of SS. Kieran, Coeman and Cronan, a bishop, who died in the year 965, as is read in an old Chronicle Petrie, Round Towers, p. 380. . In the Annals of the Four Masters abbots of Tuaimgrene are mentioned at the years 744, 747, 789, 1002. After this year, however, they no longer come under the name of abbots, but of Comorbans of Cronan of Tuaim-Grene, namely at the years 1026, 1031, 1078, 1093, 1100, 1183 and 1485. From these it appears that the name of our Cronan was celebrated. Yet we find nothing further noted about him, that is, that can certainly be referred to him: for Cronans no fewer than twenty-two, distinguished by their feasts, are read in the Martyrology of Donegal, and perhaps many more will have to be counted if you admit with Colgan that Mochua is a synonym of the name Cronan Cf. Act. SS., vol. VIII Oct., p. 382. . Among those, however, at the 19th day of October in the Donegal there is read marked Cronan of Tuaim-Grene, whose name, as usual, Michael O'Clery received from Marianus Gorman, and the addition concerning the place from his scholiast. Now whether he is to be judged the same as ours venerated on this 1st day of November or not, who could say?

[13] Aedh, The name Aedh also, whether Aidan or Moedoc, or expressed by other ways of pronouncing, occurs very frequently in Irish monuments both sacred and profane [Lanigan, vol. II, pp. 333, 335; Colgan, Act. SS. Hib., pp. 220–221; Act. SS., vol. I Jan., p. 1111 and vol. XII Oct., p. 777.] , but none who in any other place than in our martyrologies is indicated to have been at once a saint and son of Roi and of Foibrin. And indeed in the genealogies recently published by the distinguished John Francis Shearman Loca Patriciana, Dublin, 1879. , the name Roi or Roich is read in two places. First, in the genealogy of the tribe which was called Laidir Ara Op. cit., p. 140, note , where is named Roich, wife of Ross Ruadh, from whom her son Fergus Mac Roich, who was king of Ulster, received his surname J. O'Donovan, Hy-Fiachrach, p. 97. : among his descendants there occurs a certain Aedh Alainn Shearman, loc. cit. . In the second, in the genealogy of the tribe Eoghanacht, where is read one Roi, of the family of Conaire Mor or the Great, king of Ireland, and among his sons St. Aithchaem Shearman, at p. 394, n° 2, part II. Cf. ibid., p. 338. , but he is venerated on the 16th day of June. I say nothing of Aedh Roin, son, that is, of the family, of Maelcobha, king of Ulidia Annal. Quat. Mag. at the year 649; W. Reeves, Eccl Antiq., pp. 358–359. : for he certainly does not pertain here. — Further, none of those whom we have cited seems to have had anything in common with Foibrin or Foibhren or Faebhran, a monastery of County Sligo, concerning which in the Annals of the Four Masters at the years 754 and 811. And so as regards this saint of ours too, all things are full of darkness.

[14] Dicholl, Nor is it permitted to speak any more clearly of St. Dicholl or Dichull, of whom Colgan, in an annotation to the Life of St. Patrick by Jocelin, ch. 140 (where the name Dichull occurs), says: There were many Dichulls or Deicolæ among the Irish, abbots and hermits celebrated for sanctity, of whom the Four Masters in the Annals at the years 700, 709, 747, 871 and 889. Likewise the Martyrology of Tallaght, Marianus Gorman, Cathal Maguire and the Martyrology of Donegal, 28 Feb., 15 March, 1 May, 12 June, 1, 17 and 21 Nov., 18 and 25 Dec. Among whom it is not easy to determine who this one was, since the Tripartite Life below, part 3, chs. 94 and 95, relates that he was abbot of Ernaide and afterwards of Lugmag or Louth in Ulster. But since the circumstances in the aforesaid martyrologies

added to the cited days and places exclude him from the other days, he seems to be the one of whom they treat at 1 November or more likely at 1 May, on which they say St. Dichull is venerated in the church of Cluainbraoin, which is near the church of Louth in Ulster and perhaps the same as that which the Tripartite Life calls that of Ernaide, since it is said to be in the same region of Southern Ulster in which are the churches of Louth and Ernaide Trias Thaum., p. 115, note 148. .

[15] Martan. Neither do we know anything of Martan or Martin apart from what we have copied above No. 1. from Gorman and the Donegal and the mention which we read in the Annals of the Four Masters at the year 768: St. Martin, bishop of Inis-Eidnigh, died on the 1st day of November. This, however, like the other things read in the Four Masters at this year, O'Donovan notes On this place. is read in the Annals of Ulster under the year 772, but must altogether be referred to the year 773, since in the same Annals of Ulster it is indicated that in the same year an eclipse of the moon occurred on the 2nd day before the nones of December: and this eclipse marked the year 773 Cf. Art de vérifier les dates, vol. I, p. 66. . — The same O'Donovan conjectures that Inis-Ednigh is the ancient name of the place which is now called Inishee, in the western part of County Galway, where the river Owenmore flows into the sea.

[16] The three sons of Dioma. It remains that we treat of the three sons of Dioma and of the seven bishops of Cill-Tidil. As for the first, one of them could be reckoned to be that Colman of whom above, if, that is, we should trust the note attached to this name in the Leabhar Brecc Cf. above, no. 9. : but who, on this supposition, the other two should be said to be is altogether uncertain. To others perhaps another opinion will be preferred. Namely, in the part of the genealogy of the Fiachrii already cited in our work at the 29th day of October Vol. XII Oct., p. 882. there occurs the name of Dioma Dubh, whose grandsons are indicated to have been SS. Fidhmuine, Fidhairle and Fiodhgus, who by a common name are designated O'Suanaigh or of the descendants of Suanach. By that common name (Ua Suanaigh) the first two are also surnamed in the Annals of the Four Masters At the years 750 and 758. (the third does not appear in the same) and it is read there that they were hermits or monks of Rahan (now Rathen, in King's County *), of which monastery the second was the founder, as Petrie judges Round Towers, pp. 245–246. . They are now venerated, according to the Irish hagiographers, Fidhmuine at Rahan on the 16th day of May, Fidharle on the 1st day of October, Fidgus at Glascarnn likewise on the 16th day of May Colgan, Act. SS. Hib., p. 248. . These three holy brothers, therefore, sons or grandsons of Dioma (for often, as is known, these degrees of kinship are confused in Irish documents) See an example in the cited vol. XII Oct., p. 883, no. 6 beginning. , can be judged to be venerated together also on the present day, by whose common clan name there may have been called Tigh-mic-Dimmai or the church of the sons of Dioma in the territory of Cualann, that is, in the northern part of County Wicklow J. O'Donovan, Book of Rights, p. 13, note h. , and therefore, like Rathen and Glascarnn, situated in the province of Leinster. And at what time they lived may be gathered from the Irish annals, where the death of Fidhmuine is marked at the year 750, and that of Fidharle at the year 758 or 762 or 763 [Annal. Quat. Mag., at the years 750 and 758. Cf. the notes of Donovan on these places.] .

[17] [The seven bishops of Cill-Tidil. Often several bishops of the same place are mentioned in the Irish martyrologies.] As to the seven bishops of Cill-Tidil, it should especially be noted here that mention frequently occurs in the hagiographical documents of the Irish of very many bishops living together. In the Martyrology of Donegal we find six times seven bishops of one place marked, namely at the days 15 January, 28 May, 21 July, 23 August, 3 October and at the present 1 November. All of whom are announced at the same days in Marianus Gorman, and indeed in the principal text, always in the plural number, and besides at 28 May and 23 August with the number seven distinctly added, while at the days 15 January, 3 October and 1 November the same number is written in the scholia, and at the sole day of 21 July it is omitted. In the Donegal, moreover, at the days 15 January, 21 July and 3 October those bishops are indicated to have been brothers, begotten of the same father. But in the litanies of the Irish saints also, which Ængus the Culdee is said to have composed around the year 798 Cf. Eug O'Curry, Mss. materials, pp. 380–382. , no fewer than one hundred and forty-one bands of this kind of seven bishops occur Todd, S. Patrick, p. 32. . Whence, as also from the names of many places in Ireland which received them from the bishops who lived there, of which kind are Tulach-na-nespoic or the hill of the bishops, Rath-na-nespoic or the fort of the bishops, Disert-na-nespoic or the retreat of the bishops, Domhnach-na-nespoic or the church of the bishops, etc., the distinguished Todd altogether rightly, as it seems, gathers that it was the custom in the ancient Irish church that there should be several bishops in the same place Ibid., pp. 31–32. .

[18] The interpretations of this matter which Colgan devised, Colgan indeed hints that in the martyrologies cited above bishops are indicated either resting or buried in the same place, or who governed some church not at the same time but in order, or even who at some time dwelt in the same monastery [Act. SS. Hib., p. 339, note 28, cited below at no. 20. Add ibid., p. 731, note 8, and Tr. Thaum., p. 186, note 73.] . But Todd again rightly observes that the first explanation is not only arbitrary but also violent: for whenever among Irish hagiographers by the name of the place where some saint is venerated the place of burial is meant, the preposition in (such a place) is employed by them, but where the church or monastery to which he was attached is to be signified, the preposition de is used; now the bands of seven bishops which they indicate to be venerated in the six diverse places brought forward above are each said to be of such or such a church.

[19] by clear Nor do the other explanations avail more, both because sometimes those seven bishops are signified to have been brothers Cf. preceding no., middle. , and because some quite express testimonies contradict those interpretations. Thus in a poem which St. Columba himself is said to have composed in Ængus or his scholiast in praise of St. Mochta, bishop of Lugmad, the opulence of the monastery founded by the saint is celebrated in these words: The household of Mochta of the monastery of Lugmas was not narrow. Three hundred presbyters and a hundred bishops were with him… In Colgan, Act. SS. Hib., p. 734. . And similar things are read in the ancient Life of St. Mochta Ibid., p. 729, ch. 7. . That this number of presbyters and bishops dwelling together in one monastery was certainly excessively exaggerated hardly anyone would doubt, but this certainly can be concluded from the words of both writings, that neither to the writers nor to the readers did the assertion of many bishops living in one place seem absurd.

[20] testimonies A second testimony is brought forward from the Life of St. Farannan, in which it is narrated that the saint betook himself to the place which is called Easdra: where to meet him all the prelates of the neighbouring regions and very many other men and women distinguished in sanctity had gathered. Of these the chief are then named and among them seven bishops of Cluain-Hemain: at the mention of whom Colgan added this note, in which he has heaped together all the interpretations devised by him so as not to be forced to admit that several bishops sat together in the same place: In a certain very old little book of Litanies I find seven bishops of Cluain-emhain invoked. But granted, you will say, that so many bishops could have been successively in one place: yet how together, and from it together, could they have come to a public assembly? I confess first of all that the monastery or congregation from which so many holy and grave men came forth together must have been great. Yet I do not judge that they were bishops of that place from which they came forth, but only that they were buried in it, or that they were monks together either before or after their episcopate Ibid., p. 339, note 28. .

[21] are refuted; To the testimonies brought forward by the distinguished Todd we can add also a third from the Life of St. Senan: But St. Senan, leaving in the monastery of Inismor some holy men of his disciples, and among others St. Liberius and three bishops Dalann, Sedonius and Ercus, betook himself to another island Ibid., p. 534, ch. 27. . Which again Colgan interprets: I do not judge (he says) that these were bishops when they were left there, but that they were afterwards taken up to the episcopate Ibid., p. 540, note 19. . To refute these things at greater length seems superfluous.

[22] nor does that custom seem alien to primitive discipline. Moreover, this custom of appointing several bishops in the same place could seem rather to accord with the more ancient discipline of the Church, as Jerome testifies: The presbyter, therefore, is the same as the bishop, and before there arose, by the devil's instigation, factions in religion and it was said among the peoples: I am of Paul, I of Apollos, but I of Cephas, the churches were governed by the common counsel of the presbyters. But after each one thought those whom he had baptized to be his own, not Christ's, it was decreed in the whole world that one elected from among the presbyters should be set over the rest, to whom the whole care of the church should pertain and the seeds of schisms be taken away On the Epistle to Titus ch. I, V. 5 (P. L., vol. XXVI, p. 562). . And perhaps also from this some argument for their opinion will be taken by those who hold that the faith of Christ was already preached in the first century in Great Britain (from which it soon passed over into Ireland).

[23] On the place Cill-Tidil. Now, as regards the place, Cill-Tidil or Cill-Teidhil, Lanigan Eccles. Hist. of Ireland, vol. I, p. 291, note 77. does not doubt that it is the same which today is called Kilteel or Kilteely, in the eastern part of County Limerick. And rightly indeed: for Cill-Teidhil adjoined Ara or Aradh-Cliach Vit. S. Patricii, by Jocelin, Part III, chs. 40, 41 (Tr. Th. p. 157). , and ancient documents show that in this territory there was the church of Kilteely Annal. Quat. Mag., ed. O'Donovan, vol. II, p. 784, note q. .

* Marr. Corpre.

* King's County.