¹ Now Bairre was of Connacht by descent, specifically of the descendants of Brian son of Eochaid; that is, Bairre son of Amairgen, son of Dubduibne, son of Art, son of Carthann, son of Fland, son of Ninnid, son of Brian, son of Eochaid Muigmedon. The family and kindred of St Bairre later moved from the borders of Connacht and took possession of land at Achad Durbcon, in the district of Muscraige Mitine.

² There Amairgen, Bairre’s father, owned a townland. This Amairgen was a renowned smith, and at that time was chief smith to the king of Rathlenn, Tigernach son of Aed Uargarb (‘cold-rough’), son of Crimthann, son of Eochaid, son of Cas, son of Corc.

³ Now there was a beautiful female slave in the household of this king. The king ordered his household that none of them was to have relations with her. Amairgen did not hear of this. The smith and the handmaid came together secretly, and their affair later became known because the handmaid conceived. After this, King Tigernach summoned the handmaid and asked her by whom she was pregnant; and she said that the father was Amairgen.

⁴ Then the king ordered that both Amairgen and the handmaid should be bound. He further ordered that a great fire should be lit and that the two of them should be thrown into it. But God did not allow him to do this, for lightning and thunder came, together with heavy rain, so that they could not light the fire, because St Bairre was dear to God even before he was born. Then the child spoke from his mother’s womb and said: “O King, do not commit this wicked deed, for God will not love you any more for doing it.” Then the king said to his household: “Wait a while, so that we may see and discover who is speaking to us.”

⁵ Then the lightning, thunder and rain ceased, and Amairgen and the handmaid were saved from being burnt. The handmaid then gave birth to the wondrous boy, St Bairre. Immediately after his birth, he spoke to the king, asking that his father and mother should be released to him. At his request, the king set them free, and gave himself and his descendants to Bairre for ever.

⁶ After this, the child did not speak again until the proper time.

⁷ Amairgen and the handmaid afterwards went to Achad Durbcon, taking the little child with them. There the child was baptised. He was baptised by Mac Cuirb, bishop of Dal Modula of Corco Airchind Droma. The name originally given to him was Loán, and he was brought up at Achad Durbcon for seven years.

⁸ Now there were three clerics from Munster who were on pilgrimage in Leinster at this time. During a journey to visit their own country, they came to Amairgen’s house and saw the beautiful little boy there. The eldest of the three said: “This is a fair little boy. The grace of the Holy Spirit shines in his face, and it would be a pleasure for us to teach him.” “If that is your wish,” said Amairgen, “take him with you and let him be educated.” The elder replied: “We will not take him now, but will wait until we pass this way again on our return to Leinster.”

⁹ Afterwards, the same three clerics came to Amairgen’s house in the summer and took the boy with them. When they reached the hill called Muincille, that is, Ros Coill, the little boy became thirsty and cried out for a drink. The elder said to his servant: “Go to that doe there on the hill and bring back a drink from her for the boy.” The servant went and milked a vessel full of milk from the doe, and it was given to the little boy.

¹⁰ Then the elder said: “The place where God has worked this wonderful miracle for the boy is a fitting place for his education to begin, for his hair to be cut and for his name to be changed.” And so it was done. The man who cut his hair said: “Beautiful and fair (find) is the crest (barr) upon Loán.” The elder said: “You have spoken well, for from now on his name shall be Findbarr” (Fair-crest).

¹¹ This was the day on which Brendan of Birr came to Sliab Muincille, and he had reached the place where Brendan’s crosses stand today. His chariot jolted beneath him three times, and he was thrown out of it. He wept greatly and afterwards smiled. His household asked him why he had first wept and then laughed. “A little boy has come here today,” he said, “for whom God has worked a great miracle. That is why I was sad.”

¹² “I had asked God for three territories in Desmond, so that they might serve my successor after me: from the Blackwater to the Lee, from the Lee to the Bandon and Bearhaven, and from the Bandon to Cape Clear. God did not grant them to me, but God has given them to serve Bairre for ever.” The three clerics mentioned above afterwards came into Leinster, with Bairre accompanying them. It was Bairre who marked out the church of Mac Cathail (Kilmacahill) in Gowran Pass. There Bairre studied his psalms.

¹³ Once, while Bairre was studying his psalms, there was a heavy fall of snow, so that a hood of snow formed around the hut in which Bairre was studying. Bairre said to his tutor: “I would like this hood to remain around my hut until I have finished my psalms.” God granted this: the snow melted from the ground, but the hood of snow remained around the hut until Bairre had finished his psalms.

¹⁴ Once, a wealthy man named Fidach came to where Bairre was, to Lochan, intending to take Lochan as his confessor. Lochan said to Fidach: “Kneel before that little boy there, Bairre.” Fidach said: “I think it beneath me to kneel before him.” Lochan said to Fidach: “If I take him as my confessor, will you take him as yours as well?” Fidach said that he would. Then the cleric knelt before Bairre, and Fidach knelt as well. Lochan offered his church to God and to Bairre, and Fidach offered himself and his descendants to Bairre. Bairre said to his tutor: “Accept this man and his descendants from me in return for teaching me my psalms.”

¹⁵ After this, Bairre set out for Munster. He came to the place in Ossory where Cul Caissine stands today. He marked out the church, and it was given to him for ever.

¹⁶ After this, Bairre came to Aghaboe and first settled there. Later, Cainnech Mac Ua Dalann came to Bairre and asked him to give up the place to him. “What shall I have in return?” said Bairre. “You shall have a good reward in return, Bairre,” said Cainnech. “The place where you settle, and where your relics shall rest, shall always enjoy an abundance of learning, prosperity and honour, in return for the honour you show me.”

¹⁷ “What else?” said Bairre. “You shall have,” said Cainnech, “heaven for every one of your successors.” “I think you have said that too soon,” said Bairre. “They are likely to become negligent and gain it merely because of this promise.” Cainnech said: “When your successor and representative dies, by the gift of the heavenly King, he shall not depart this life without confession.” They marked out the church and the cemetery, and Bairre said: “Few will be the sons of perdition in this church.” Cainnech said: “There will not be many sons of perdition in your cemetery.”

¹⁸ After this, Bairre came to Bishop Mac Cuirb in Cliu. This Mac Cuirb was a notable man and a fellow pupil of David of Cell Muine, both of them having been pupils of Gregory of Rome. When Bairre came to Bishop Mac Cuirb, the king, Fachtna Fergach (“the Wrathful”) the Elder, son of Caelbad, of Muscraige Breogan, spoke to him and said: “I want you to bless my two children, my blind son and my mute daughter.” Bairre blessed them both, and they were healed: the son received his sight, and the daughter her speech.

¹⁹ As Bairre and the king were talking together, they heard a great lamentation. “What is this?” said Bairre. The king said: “My wife has just died.” Bairre said to the king: “God is able to raise her from the dead.” After this, Bairre blessed some water, and they washed the queen with it. She rose from the dead as though waking from sleep.

²⁰ As Bairre and the king were talking together, the king said: “Why, Bairre, do you not perform miracles in our presence as well?” Bairre said: “God is able to perform them, if it is His will.” It was then only springtime. Nevertheless, ripe nuts fell from the hazel tree beneath which they were sitting, until their laps were full of them. Then King Fachtna gave Rath Airtenn (or Airrtad) to Bairre for ever.

²¹ After this, Bairre studied the Gospel of Matthew and the Acts of the Apostles with Bishop Mac Cuirb. Bishop Mac Cuirb then asked Bairre for payment for his instruction. Bairre said: “What payment do you ask?” Bishop Mac Cuirb said: “This is what I desire: that both of us should rise again in the same place on the Day of Judgement.” Bairre said: “You shall have your wish, for you shall be buried in the same place as me, and there we shall rise again.”

²² After this, Bairre lived by Loch Irce, at Edergole on the eastern side of the lough. These were the members of Bairre’s school by the lough: Eolang his tutor, Colman of Daire Duncon, Baichine and Nesan, Garban son of Findbarr, Talmach, Finnchad of Donaghmore, Fachtna of Ria, Fachtna of Ros Ailithir, Luicer, Caman, Loichine of Achad Airaird, Cairine, Finntan and Eothuile, who are in Ros Caerach, Grellan in Druim Draighnighe, Cáelchú, Mogenna, Modimócc, Santan, and Luiger son of Colum. All of these were east of the lough. These were the members of Bairre’s school by the lough: Eolang his tutor, Colman of Daire Duncon, Baichine and Nesan, Garban son of Findbarr, Talmach, Finnchad of Donaghmore, Fachtna of Ria, Fachtna of Ros Ailithir, Luicer, Caman, Loichine of Achad Airaird, Cairine, Finntan and Eothuile, who are in Ros Caerach, Grellan in Druim Draighnighe, Cáelchú, Mogenna, Modimócc, Santan, and Luiger son of Colum. All of these gave their churches to God and to Bairre for ever.

²³ These women were also with him at Edergole: Bairre’s own sister, Crothru daughter of Conall, the three daughters of Mac Carthainn, Coch, a nun of Ross Banagher, Moshillan of Rathmore, Scothnat of Cluain Bec, Lasar of Achad Durbcon, the three daughters of Lugaid, Dune and Er, and Brigit of Airnaide. All of these gave their churches to God and to Bairre for ever.

²⁴ At Bairnech Mór, in the district of Muscraige Mitaine, Iuran the Briton was the first to settle, together with Nathi and Bróccán. They gave their church, Bairnech Mór, to Bairre, and Bairre left with them a reliquary and the four books of the Gospels. Lugaid son of Fintan, of Dal Modúla of Airther Cliach, was the first to occupy Cenna Dromma at Carn Tigernaigh in the district of Fermoy. He gave his church to Bairre, and received from Bairre an offertory vessel of white bronze. Baetan son of Eogan occupied Glenn Cáin in the district of Úi Luigdech of Eile, together with Modimócc, a pupil of Bairre; both men were bishops. They gave their church, Glenn Cáin, entirely into Bairre’s possession. Druim Eidnech, in the district of the Úi Luigdech of Eile, was occupied by Sáran. He gave his church to Bairre and received from Bairre his bronze reliquary containing the Host.

²⁵ Goban Corr (“the Dwarf”?) settled at Fán Lopaist and gave his church to Bairre, and Bairre gave him a silver offertory vessel and a gold altar chalice. Fintan and Domangen occupied Cluain Fota and Tulach Min, and they gave their church to Bairre. Bairre gave them an offertory vessel and an altar chalice of glass. Bairre performed a remarkable miracle there: he cured a boy of blindness and a girl of muteness, and healed a leper completely. Brogan son of Senan was a pupil of Bairre, and studied three lessons each day with Bairre until he was ordained. He gave himself and his church, Clúain Cárnai, to Bairre for ever.

²⁶ Afterwards, Bairre, guided by an angel, came to his own district and built the church of Achad Durbcon. There is a cave there called Cúas Barrai (Bairre’s Cave), with a beautiful pool beside it, from which a salmon was brought to Bairre every night, caught in a net with a single mesh. The angel said to Bairre: “Your resurrection shall not be here.”

²⁷ After this, Bairre crossed the river to Cell na Cluaine, built a church there and remained in it for some time, until two pupils of Ruadan of Lothra, Cormac and Buichin, came to him. They had asked Ruadan for a place of their own. Ruadan said to them: “Go with my blessing, and wherever the tongue of your bell strikes, and the strap of your book-bag breaks, there shall be your resurrection.”

²⁸ When they came to Bairre at Cell na Cluaine, all these things happened to them according to Ruadan’s words. They were greatly disheartened, because they did not think that the church would be given to them. Bairre said to them: “Do not be sad or downcast. I give this church and all its treasures to you and to God.” And so Bairre built twelve churches before he came to Cork and gave them all away out of humility and the greatness of his charity.

²⁹ Afterwards, the angel guided Bairre from Cell na Cluaine to the place where Cork stands today and said to him: “Remain here, for here shall be your haven of resurrection.” Bairre then fasted for three days in this place, when Aed son of Comgall, of the Úi mic Ciair, came to him looking for a cow that had wandered away to give birth to her calf; and he found her with the clerics.

³⁰ Aed asked them: “What has brought you here?” Bairre answered: “We are looking for a place where we may pray to God for ourselves and for the man who gives it to us.” Aed said: “I give you this place, together with the cow which God has led to you here.” After this, Aed son of Miandach came and gave Bairre Foithrib Aeda (Aed’s Wood) in Magh Tuath, together with his own service and that of his descendants. Afterwards Aed came and gave himself and his descendants to Bairre for ever.

³¹ After this, the angel of God came to attend him and said: “Do you wish to remain here?” Bairre said: “Yes, if it is God’s will.” The angel said: “If you remain here, fewer of the sons of life from this place will go to heaven. Go a little further, to the place east of you where there are many waters, and remain there according to the Lord’s counsel; and many sages and sons of life from that place will go to heaven.”

³² The angel then went ahead of him to the place appointed for him by God. The angel marked out the church and blessed it, and Bairre afterwards remained there.

³³ After this, Bairre went to Rome to receive episcopal ordination, together with Eolang, Maedoc of Ferns and David of Cell Muine, with twelve monks accompanying them. Gregory was the successor of Peter at that time. When Gregory raised his hand over Bairre’s head to perform the rite of ordination, a flame came down from heaven onto his hand, and Gregory said to Bairre: “Go home, and the Lord Himself will perform the rite of episcopal ordination over you.”

³⁴ And so it was fulfilled. Bairre returned to his own church, and the Lord Himself performed the rite of episcopal ordination over him at the cross in front of the church, where his remains were afterwards buried. Oil flowed abundantly from the earth there, rising above his shoes and the shoes of the elders who were with him. Then Bairre and his elders blessed the church and the cemetery, and they declared that Cork would always have an abundance of wisdom.

³⁵ After this, Bairre remained in Cork and had a great school of saints with him there. Fachtna occupied Cell Ria; Eltin son of Cobthach occupied Cell na h-Indsi; Fergus of Fennor occupied Fennor of the Kings; Condire son of Fortchern occupied Tulach Ratha; Bishop Libair occupied Cell Ia; Bishop Sinell occupied Cluain Bruices; Fingin and Trian occupied Domnach Mor of Mitaine; Mocholmoc son of Grillen settled at Ross Ailithir, as did Fachtna son of Mongach; Bishop Colman occupied Cenn Eich; and Bishops Muadan and Cairpre occupied Cell Muadain. All of these gave their churches to God and to Bairre.

³⁶ Bishop Mac Cuirb said to Bairre: “If my body is the first to be buried here, and my soul goes straight to heaven, I will not allow anyone who dies within the bounds of Cork to go to hell.” Afterwards, the body of Bishop Mac Cuirb was the first to be buried in the soil of Cork.

³⁷ Bairre was greatly troubled at having no confessor after the death of his elder. Afterwards, therefore, he went to visit Eolang, and God revealed to Eolang that Bairre was coming to him. Eolang said to his monastic community: “Noble guests will come to us today, and you must attend to them with food and bathing.”

³⁸ Soon afterwards Bairre arrived, and Eolang’s hospitaller met him, welcomed him and said: “The elder is glad that you have come. Let your clothes be taken from you, and bathe yourselves.” Bairre said: “We would first like to speak with the elder.” The hospitaller went to Eolang and told him Bairre’s reply. Eolang said: “Let Bairre bathe first, and we will speak afterwards. But let him return to his monastery tomorrow, and I will come to him at the end of a week.”

³⁹ And this was fulfilled, for Eolang came to Cork at the end of a week and immediately knelt before Bairre, saying: “I give you my church, my body and my soul.” Then Bairre wept and said: “That was not what I had intended. I thought that I would be the one to give my church to you.” Eolang said: “Let it be as I have said, for this is the will of God. You are dear to God, and you are greater than I am. But I ask you for one reward in return for my gift: that our resurrection may be in the same place.” Bairre said: “You shall have this. But I am still troubled about having no confessor.” Eolang said: “Today, through me, you shall receive a confessor worthy of you.”

⁴⁰ And this was fulfilled, for beside Eolang’s monument, in the presence of angels and archangels, Eolang placed Bairre’s hand in the hand of the Lord Himself and said: “O Lord, receive this righteous man.” The Lord then took Bairre by the hand and led him towards heaven. But Eolang said: “O Lord, do not take Bairre from me now, until the time comes for him to be released from the body.” The Lord then released Bairre’s hand. From that day onwards, no one could look upon his hand because of its radiance, and so he always wore a glove over it.

⁴¹ Bairre decided to seek additional relics for his cemetery. An angel then came and spoke with him, saying: “Go tomorrow to the territory of the Úi Crimthann, for there are relics of bishops there.” The following day Bairre went to Disert Mor. There he saw a company carrying away for burial the very relics he had come to seek. “Well then,” said Bairre to Fiama son of Eogan, “what are you doing there?” “This is what happened,” said Fiama. “An angel of God came and spoke with me last night, and told me to go and fetch these relics from the place where they were. And so I have taken them from there.”

⁴² “That is the very business that has brought me from my home,” said Bairre. “What, then, shall be done about it?” said Fiama. “Without question, the relics shall be left to you,” said Bairre. “That is good,” said Fiama, “and you shall receive a reward for it: from now until Judgement Day, this place and its relics shall be yours.” “I accept,” said Bairre. “The place will prosper, and its successor will be honoured upon the earth.” Because of this, Fiama earned the privilege of administering the Body of Christ to Bairre on the day of his death.

⁴³ The miracles and mighty works that God performed for St Bairre are too numerous to count or recount. No one could relate them all unless Bairre himself, or an angel of God, were to come and tell them. Nevertheless, this small selection may be enough to show something of his inner life and daily conduct: his humility, obedience, compassion, gentleness, patience and mildness; his love, mercy and readiness to forgive; his fasting and abstinence, his fervent prayer, his patient endurance, and his mind continually fixed upon God. No one could fully describe these things unless Bairre himself, or an angel of God, were to come and tell them.

⁴⁴ For there were many virtues in this Bairre. He was a righteous man, pure in nature like a patriarch; he was a true pilgrim like Abraham; he was compassionate, simple and forgiving of heart like Moses; he was a praiseworthy and accomplished psalmist like David; he was a treasury of wisdom and knowledge like Solomon son of David; He was a chosen vessel for proclaiming righteousness, like Paul the Apostle; he was a man filled with the grace and favour of the Holy Spirit, like the young John. He was a lion in strength and power; he was a king in dignity and distinction, with power to set free and to enslave, to kill and to give life, to bind and to loose. He was a serpent in prudence and wisdom in everything good, and a dove in gentleness and simplicity in the face of all evil.

⁴⁵ He was a beautiful garden filled with the herbs of virtue. He was a crystal-clear fountain through which the sins of the people whom God had entrusted to him were washed away, so that they might be made better through the purity of his teaching. He was also a heavenly cloud by which the soil of the Church, that is, the souls of the righteous, was made fruitful through the drops of his peaceful and virtuous teaching. He was a golden lamp, kindled by the Holy Spirit, before which darkness and sin fled from the house of the Lord, that is, the Church. He was a shining fire whose heat warmed and kindled love in the hearts of the sons of life. He was also an ever-victorious ship which carried the multitudes of many peoples through the storms of the world to the shore of the heavenly Church. He was the consecrated banner of the heavenly King, bringing peace and harmony between God and humanity.

⁴⁶ He was the chief steward and most noble overseer whom the High King of heaven sent to collect the tribute of virtues and good works from the peoples of the Gaels. He was the precious stone with which the heavenly palace was adorned. He was the crystal vessel from which the wine of the word of God was distributed to the many peoples who followed it. He was the rich and prosperous master cultivator of wisdom and knowledge, who enriched the righteous poor with the abundance of his teaching. He was a branch of the true vine, that is, Christ, bringing satisfaction and life to the world. He was the true physician who healed the sicknesses and diseases of the body and soul of every believer in the Church. So numerous, indeed, were the virtues of St Bairre that no one could recount them all.

⁴⁷ There are seven remarkable miracles which God granted to Bairre beyond all other saints: his speaking in his mother’s womb before his birth; his speaking clearly for a second time immediately after his birth, before the proper age for speech; the offering made to him before his baptism; miracles performed for him without his asking for them; angels guiding and accompanying him wherever he went; Eolang placing his hand in the hand of God; the sun shining for twelve days after his death without being darkened by clouds; and a golden ladder standing in his church, awaiting the holy souls who would ascend by it to heaven, as Fursa the ascetic saw there.

⁴⁸ When the day of death came for the man in whom all these many virtues were found, namely St Bairre, after he had healed the blind and the leper, the lame, the deaf and the mute, together with sick people suffering from every other kind of illness; after he had founded many churches, cells and monasteries for God; and after he had appointed in them bishops, priests and people of every other ecclesiastical rank, for the anointing, confirmation, consecration and blessing of peoples and families, for baptism and communion, confession and instruction, and for the continual preservation of the faith and belief in those districts, Bairre went to Cell na Cluaine to visit Cormac and Baithine.

⁴⁹ Fiama also came to meet him at Cell na Cluaine, and they blessed one another as holy brothers. Bairre said to them: “It is time for me to be released from the prison of the body and to go to the heavenly King, who is now calling me to Himself.” After this, Bairre received the Eucharist there from the hand of Fiama, and by the cross in the middle of Cell na Cluaine he gave up his spirit to heaven.

⁵⁰ After this, his monks and disciples, together with the assembly of the churches of Desmond, came to keep vigil over and honour the body of their master, St Bairre, and to carry it with them to Cork, the place of his resurrection.

⁵¹ That day, the day of St Bairre’s death, was prolonged for the elders. God did not allow the sun to set beneath the earth for twelve days afterwards, for as long as the assemblies of the churches of Desmond were occupied around the body of their master with hymns and psalms, Masses and the recitation of the canonical hours. Then the angels of heaven came to meet his soul and carried it with honour and reverence to heaven, where he shines like the sun in the company of the patriarchs and prophets, in the company of the apostles and disciples of Jesus, in the company of the nine heavenly orders who never sinned, in the company of the divinity and humanity of the Son of God, and in the company higher than every other company: the company of the Holy Trinity, Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Amen. Here ends the Life.