ON ST. COLMAN, CONFESSOR, IN IRELAND,
IN THE YEAR 699.
SYLLOGE.
Colman, abbot of Lann in Ireland. (S.)
§ Sole. Record from the Irish martyrologies.
St. Colman announced in the martyrologies at the 30th day of October At this 30th day of October there is announced in the Irish martyrologies a certain Colman of Cambos or of Lann-Mocholmoc: namely in the Festilogium of Aengus: St. Colman son of Hua-Guala; and Cathal Maguire adds in the scholia: St. Colman son of Hua Guala, because namely he came from Gail-fhinne, which is the name of a region in Ulster: and he rests in Cambos of St. Comgall. And he was the son of the mother of St. Colman of Lann. Among the scholia, moreover, which Whitley Stokes recently published, this is noted of St. Colman: He was of Gailfine, which is a people of Ulster, and he is in Lann Mo-Cholmoc, or in Cammus Comgaill on the bank of the Bann, and he was the son of the mother of Mocholmoc of Lann On the Calendar of Œngus, pag. CLXI.. The Martyrology of Tallaght: St. Mocholmoc (it is well enough known to all who are even a little versed in Irish hagiography that Colman, Mocholmoc and Dacholmoc [Acta SS., tom. XI of Oct., pag. 647, 648 and 650; tom. XII of Oct., pag. 419 et seq.] are held as synonyms), abbot of Cambos, namely son of Hua Guala or Hua Gaille, originating from Gailine in Ulster, and he is venerated in Lann. The Calendar of Cashel: St. Colman son of Hua Gualam of Ulster: and he rests in Lann-Mocholmoc: and he is the son of the mother of St. Mocholmoc of Lann. Marianus Gorman with his scholia: St. Colman of Cambos of St. Comgall on the bank of the river Bann or at Lann-Mocholmoc. He was on his mother's side the brother of St. Colman of Lann. and on the 30th of March, The Martyrology of Donegal also has similar things Colgan, Acta SS. Hiberniæ, pag. 793..
[2] Colgan holds Ibid., pag. 792. that this is the same as that Colman who is venerated on the 30th day of March, and whom the same Irish martyrologies mark at this day. Aengus namely says: St. Colman of fair Lann Whitley Stokes, On the Calendar of Œngus, pag. LVIII.: and Maguire adds in the scholia: St. Colman of Lann-mic-Luachain in Meath or of Lann-Da-cholmoc in Ulster. He is called of Lann, that is, of Linn-Huachuille, which was the name of a demon in Cassan-Linne, who harmed many before Colman Colgan, Acta SS. Hiberniæ, pag. 793. Whitley Stokes, op. cit., pag. LXVII.. The Martyrology of Tallaght (which alone in this place was passed over by Colgan): Colman of Linn duachill, that is, the name of a demon Matthew Kelly's edit., Dublin 1857, pag. XX.. The Calendar of Cashel: St. Colman of Lanmocholmoc in Ulster. Marianus Gorman (and his scholiast): St. Colman of Linn-Huachuille on the bank of the Cassan-linne in Ulster. St. Colman of Linn Huachuill at Cassan Linne. And Duachuill was the name of a demon. The Martyrology of Donegal: brother of the one at the 17th of June, St. Colman of Linn-huachille on the bank of the Cassan-linne in Ulster Colgan, op cit., pag. 793, note 10..
[3] Moreover that Colman of Lann, of whom our Colman is said to be the brother Cf. num. 1., Colgan judges to be the one who is mentioned at the 17th day of June in the Calendar of Cashel in these words: St. Colman son of Luachan of Lann-micluachain in Meath, and in nearly the same words in the Martyrology of Tallaght, in Marianus Gorman and in Cathal Maguire [Colgan, op. cit., pag. 792 et seq., note 2. Cf. Whitley Stokes, On the Calendar of Œngus, pag. XC and CIII.]. His mother is named by Aengus, lib. IV opuscul., c. 44, saying: Lassara was the mother of St. Colman, son of Luachan In Colgan, pag. 793, note 4.. His stock is indicated a little more distinctly by the Genealogical Sanctilogium, cap. 3: St. Colman of Lan-mic-Luachain, his father Luachan son of Aidus of the stock of the kings of Meath; and cap. 4: St. Colman, son of Luachan, son of Aidus, son of Manius, son of Fergus, son of Conall Crimthann, son of Niall Noigiallach. And the same is handed down by Selvacius, or the author of another Sanctilogium, in which he pursues in rhythm the genealogy of the chief saints of Ireland Ibid., note 5.. he died in the year 699.
[4] Finally Colgan gathers the year and day of death of our Colman from the Four Masters, in whom one reads at the year 699: In the year of Christ 699 and the seventh of Kongsechus, son of Aengus, king of Ireland, Colman of Lan-huachuille died on the 30th of March Ibid., note 12.. Whence this 30th day of March seems to him to be his natal day. But he does not indicate by what reason it came about that he was also venerated on the 30th day of October. He doubts whether he or his brother is that Colman whose in addition in
the Irish martyrologies a memorial is indicated as celebrated at the 14th day of December, under the name of Colman of Lann. Nor do we have anything to add to these conclusions of Colgan, which rest almost solely on the testimonies of the martyrologies. Yet we wish the reader wholly ignorant of the Irish language to be advised that the names of places adduced in those testimonies help little here, whether for distinguishing Colmans or for identifying them. For the word Lann (in the genitive case Lainn or Linne) is common, signifying a house or church Joyce, The origin and history of irish names of places, pag. 295, Dublin 1869., so that Lann-mic-Luachain sounds the same as house or church of the son of Luachan, Lann-mocholmoc or Lann-dacholmoc the same as house or church of Colman; and the word Lannensis bears an exceedingly indefinite sense, and can be accommodated to many.