ON ST. BRUGACIUS, BISHOP OF RATHMAGH IN IRELAND,
BEFORE THE MIDDLE OF THE 6TH CENTURY.
CommentaryBrugacius, bishop in Ireland. (S.)
BY C. D. S.
Among the saints marked on this 1st day of November in Marianus Gorman is read Brugach, to which name the scholiast added: Testimonies concerning St. Brugacius. bishop of Rath-Maighe-Aonagh Cf. above, p. 339, no. 1. . Copying this after his fashion, O'Clery in his Martyrology of Donegal subjoined this little note: He was sprung from the family of Colla-da-Crioch. From other hagiological documents of the Irish we gather these few things about our saint. Namely, in the Tripartite Life of St. Patrick, part II, ch. 136, when mention had fallen on St. Carpreus son of Degill, the writer goes on thus: He (Carbreus) was also the spiritual grandson of St. Patrick: for Bishop Brugacius (who is in Rath-Muge-Aonaich, ordained bishop by St. Patrick) is the one who afterwards ordained St. Carbreus bishop Trias Thaum., p. 148. . And in the Fifth Life of St. Columba, bk. I, ch. 32: Not long after Cruthnechan (the master of St. Columba), taking Columba with him, set out into Tirennia, to the place which is called Rathenaigh, having been invited there, namely, for the solemnity of the Nativity of Christ by the holy Bishop Brugacius son of Deagadh or Degadius Ibid., p. 394. . Moreover the Sanctilogium genealogicum gives his genealogy Cf. below, no. 6. .
[2] On the episcopal see of St. Brugacius The principal question among more recent writers turns on what place our Brugacius was bishop of. To Colgan it seems to be the church of the region of Reuta or Dal-riedia which today is commonly called Rath-Muighe, by others Airther-Muighe Tr. Th., p. 183, n. 229. or Armoy in County Antrim Cf. Reeves, Eccles. Antiq. of Down, pp. 243–245. . Archdall has followed Colgan's opinion Monastic. Hibern., vol. I, pp. 23–24. . But Lanigan, Reeves and O'Donovan oppose it. And indeed the Tripartite Life itself Part II, ch. 128. reports that Olcan was set by St. Patrick as bishop of the church of Rath-mugia or, as others say, of Arthir-mugia, the chief town of the Dalredini Tr. Th., p. 146. : whence Colgan is compelled to suppose that Brugacius succeeded Olcan Act. SS. Hib., p. 377, n 6. . But Lanigan deservedly replies Eccl. Hist. of Ireland, vol. II, p. 79, note 256. that this is sufficiently incredible, since both Brugacius himself was established bishop by St. Patrick and Olcan by the same, whom as an infant Patrick baptized Tr. Th., loc. cit. , and this, as is easily gathered from the series of Patrick's deeds in the Tripartite Life, when he had already long been applying himself to his apostolic labour in Ireland. Moreover, from the place of the Life of St. Columba cited a little above No. 1 end it appears that the church of Brugacius was situated in Tirennia; and Tirennia, as Colgan admits Colgan, Act. SS. Hib., p. 370. , was in Tir-Conallia between two arms of the sea, namely between the bay of Loch-Febhuil (today Lough Foyle) and the bay of Suilech (Lough Swilly), and therefore in the present County Donegal.
[3] different opinions. Whence Reeves Eccl. Antiq., p. 80 (cf. pp. 245, 247) and Adamnan, p. 192. and O'Donovan Annals of the Four Masters, vol. I, p. 385, note x. gather that Rath-enaigh or Rath-Maighe-h Aenaigh was in the present village of Raymochy or Rath in the barony of Raphoe; and that over the same place presided Adamnan, who in the year 725, and Cieran, who in the year 779, are read to have died as abbots of Rath-Maighe-Aenaigh Ibid., pp. 322, 384. . Colgan meets this by supposing that this Brugacius was different from the one of Rath-Mugia, and that he is the one venerated on the 3rd day of November, and accordingly that two holy bishops of the same name flourished at about the same time in Ulster, of whom one had his see in Rath-Muige-Eonaigh, the other in Rath-Eonaigh, although no such distinction of episcopal sees known by nearly the same word appears anywhere. Which certainly seems sufficiently incredible. And so with the most learned men just cited we judge that Rathenaich or Raymochy was the see of Brugacius.
[4] St. Brugacius flourished before the middle of the 6th century And at what time the same man flourished is to some extent defined from the place of the Life of St. Columba cited a little above No. 1. , where it is read that Columba as a boy with his master Cruthnechan visited Brugacius. For Columba was born, according to the more common and more probable opinion Cf. W. Reeves, Life of St Columba, p. LXIX. , in the year 521, and certainly between the years 518 and 523. From this, therefore, it may be gathered that Brugacius was still among the living around the year 530. And we are brought to about the same conclusion from the genealogy of Brugacius Cf. below, no. 7. .
[5] His genealogy This genealogy, ascending, the Irish Sanctilogium genealogicum carries as far as Colla da Crioch, who was the great-great-grandfather of Maine the Great (Maine Mor), from whom descends the celebrated tribe of Hy-Many Cf. O'Donovan, Hy-Many, pp. 9, 24. . Thence, by recourse to other Irish documents, we may ascend further, so that the paternal lineage of Brugacius is carried as far as Tuathal Teachtmhar, who was king of Ireland in the first century of the Christian era, indeed even as far as Ugaine Mor or Hugh the Great, who held the sceptre of all Ireland around the year 600 before the birth of Christ. This genealogy, distributed in three parts or three schemes, we present here.
[6] from the Irish Sanctilogium genealogicum, Let there be, then, the first scheme from Brugacius to Colla da Crioch, from the Sanctilogium genealogicum [Ch. 13, in Colgan, Tr. Th., p. 183, note 228 and Act. SS. Hib., p. 713 and p. 511, note 6.] :
COLLA DA CRIOCH.
ROCHAD.
EOCHAD DIURN.
FIECC.
CRIMTHANN.
FERGUS KEAN-FODA.
CORMAC.
ENDA.
BRUGHACH.
[7] whence again his age is defined. From this part of the pedigree of St. Brugacius, then, we may again to some extent define his age. For Colla da Crioch was the grandson of Carbreus Liffecar V. next no. , who, according to the old Annals of Ireland, died in the year 284 Ibid. end. , while Brugacius is indicated as sprung from the same stock in direct line eighth from Colla da Crioch. Hence, therefore, if you suppose that Colla da Crioch was born around the year 260 and besides, with the more common opinion, a mean space of about thirty years between generations succeeding one another in order, you will gather that Brugacius was about 240 years later than his ancestor Colla da Crioch, and accordingly was born around the year 500. But if you should contract that mean space between the birth of a father and of a son, not improbably, to twenty-five years, you will now rightly establish that Brugacius was born around the year 460. Nor does it seem necessary to ascend further, if it be admitted from the Tripartite Life that Brugacius was ordained bishop by St. Patrick Cf. above, no. 1. and, according to the more probable opinion Cf. Todd, St Patrick, p. 494 ff. , that Patrick died in the year 493. More probably, therefore, the birth of St. Brugacius seems to be attached to about the year 460.
[8] The further ancestors of St. Brugacius Colla da Crioch, great-great-grandfather of Maine the Great Cf. above, no. 5. , was the son of Eochaid or Eochad Doimhlen O'Flaherty, Ogygia, part III, ch. 75 (p. 359). , who himself also was the son of Carbreus (Cairbre) Liffecar Ibid. , king of Ireland after the middle of the 3rd century. From there we have a new series ascending as far as Lugadius Sriabh-n-Dearg. This the following scheme presents, namely that part of it which John O'Donovan has edited from manuscript codices Battle of Magh-Rath, p. 326. and which can be confirmed from other documents (as regards this part). In which at the several names of the kings we have noted the years in which the beginning and end of their reign are marked, both according to the computation received in the Annals of the Four Masters, and (within brackets) according to the opinion of Roderic O'Flaherty in his Ogygia Part II, p. 139 ff.; part III, ch. 49 ff. .
LUGHADH SRIABH-N-DEARG i.e. the Red-Striped. ,
king of Ireland in the year of the world 5166–5191 Or before Chr. 34–9. Chr. 65–73.
CRIMTHANN NIANAR,
king of Ireland y. w. 5193–Chr. 9 74–90.
FERADHACH FINNFEACHTNACH [I.e. the Just.] ,
king of Ireland y. Chr. 15–36 95–116.
FIACHA FINNOLADH,
king of Ireland y. 40–56 119–126.
TUATHAL TEACHTMAR I.e. Bonaventura. ,
king of Ireland y. 76–106 130–160.
FEIDHLIMIDH REACHTMHAR I.e. the Lawgiver. ,
king of Ireland y. 110–119 164–174.
CONN of the hundred battles Quintus Centimachus (O'Flaherty). ,
king of Ireland y. 123–157 177–212.
ART or Arturus,
surnamed the Solitary,
king of Ireland y. 166–195 220–250.
CORMAC ULFADA,
king of Ireland y. 226–266 254–277.
CAIRBRE LIFFECAR,
king of Ireland y. 268–284 279–297.
EOCHAD DOIMHLEN.
COLLA DA CRIOCH.
[9] as far as Hugh the Great. Finally the third scheme, in which there is an ascent from Lugadius the Red-Striped to Hugh the Great, rests on the sole authority of the table already cited which O'Donovan edited. In which let it be observed, as regards the years of the several kings, that they are again indicated according to a double computation, both of the Four Masters and of Roderic O'Flaherty, but that according to the former the first year of the Christian age corresponds to the year of the world 6000, and according to the latter 5950.
UGAINE MOR Or Hugonius the Great (O'Flah.). ,
king of Ireland y. w. 4567–4606 3619–3649.
COBHTACH CAEL BREAGH,
king of Ireland y. w. 4609–4658 3665–3682.
MELGHE MOLBHTACH I.e. the Praiseworthy. ,
king of Ireland y. w. 4677–4694 3696–3708.
IARANGLEO [Or Irereo.] FATHACH,
king of Ireland y. w. 4720–4726 3721–3727.
CONNLA CRUAIDHCEALGACH or CAEMH [I.e. the Fair.] ,
king of Ireland y. w. 4737–4757 3734–3738.
OLIOLL CAISFHIACLACH I.e. Rough-toothed. ,
king of Ireland y. w. 4757–4782 3738–3763.
EOCHAD FOILTLEATHAN i.e. the Long-haired. ,
king of Ireland y. w. 4787–4804 3768–3775.
AENGUS TUIRMEACH,
king of Ireland y. w. 4815–4875 3787–3819.
ENNA AIGHNEAGH.
king of Ireland y. w. 4887–4907 3831–3841.
LABHRADH LORC.
BLATHACHTA.
EASAMAN.
ROIGHNE RUADH.
FINNLOGHA.
FINN.
EOCHADH FEIDHLEACH,
king of Ireland y. w. 5057–5069 3922–3934.
FINN EAMHNA.
LUGHADH SRIABH-N-DEARG.
[10] In what sense St. Brugacius was said to be the son of different men. It ought not to cause scruple that in the first scheme No. 6. Enda is indicated as father to Brugacius, whereas the same Brugacius in the Fifth Life of St. Columba is said to be the son of Degadius. For, as
Colgan notes Act. SS. Hib., p. 51, note 6. , the saint could be called in this Life the son of Degadius, not because he was properly and immediately his son, but as descending from his seed. For nothing is more frequent among the Irish, as is well enough known, than that all sprung from one and the same stock should be called sons (mac) of him who is held to be the root or head of the stock. Now among the ancestors of Brugacius who are reckoned in our threefold scheme, there occurs more than once the name Eochad, which could easily also be pronounced Dechad.
[11] On the authority of genealogical tables among the Irish. So ancient a memory of lineage indeed as the above tables present will be mocked by those who both deny that it could have been preserved without the help of writing and who hold that the use of letters was first introduced among the Irish by St. Patrick or other heralds of the Christian faith. But more mildly and, if I am not mistaken, more rightly will those judge who have considered both of how great moment it seemed to the ancient Irish and Britons that the genealogies of their kings and princes should be known certainly and publicly [Cf. O'Curry, Mss. materials, lect. x; Rice Rees, Essay on the welsh saints, p. 73.] , and with how great zeal the poets celebrated them, who, as if by public office most diligently instructed in the traditions of their nation, set them before the nobles and the people [Cf. H. d'Arbois de Jubainville, Etudes sur la littérature celtique, vol. I, ch. VII and VIII.] , so that even without writing they could not so difficultly have been preserved by memory, and finally that long before the introduction of Roman letters there was in use among the Irish that ruder and as it were hieroglyphic writing which they call ogham, certainly little suited for writing books, but by which brief memorials of names, such as genealogical documents contain, could easily be preserved, carved on stone or wood [Cf. Brash and Atkinson, The ogham inscribed monuments of the Gaedhil, especially pp. 28 and 34.] . But it must also be observed that in those genealogical documents, such as have come down to us, only the names and the series of ancestors are indicated, no notes of time being added; where more recent writers have tried to supply these, it is no wonder that, certain testimonies being lacking, different men have proposed different computations, nor is anything certainly taken away from the authority of the genealogies themselves on that account. Certainly it was not permissible for us, treating of Irish saints, to pass over in silence those pedigrees of which the Irish have always made so much.