Stokes, Lives of Saints from the Book of Lismore (1890) — translated from the Irish, with the Latin preface.

¹ “Homo proficiscens uocauit seruos suos tradidit illis bona sua” (Mt. 25:14) — A man going on a journey called his servants and delivered his goods to them. And in various ways he distributed those goods to them: to one man he gave five talents, to another two, and one talent to the last man.

² Now Matthew son of Alpheus, the Hebrew sage, the first man who wrote the divine gospel — it is he who wrote in the body of the gospel this holy narrative, for the church to remember how the heavenly Father’s Son apportions the manifold gifts of the Holy Spirit to everyone in the church.

³ Now the man who is said to go abroad is Jesus Christ, the Son of the living God, who came to help the human race and wrested His booty from the Devil and afterwards rose to the holy heavens towards the heavenly Father, and called His apostles to Him and distributed to them the manifold gifts of the Holy Spirit, as was manifest to all at Pentecost. And He gave the same gifts to the saints and the righteous after the manner of the apostles, through the teaching of the divine scriptures.

⁴ Now the five talents spoken of here signify the five bodily and spiritual senses that were bestowed by God on the human race to serve Him and to see God through them.

⁵ Now the two talents spoken of here signify the discernment and understanding which the saints and righteous give to the Lord, to show their good deeds through that discernment.

⁶ Now the one talent signifies the splendid law that is in the human soul, whereby it sees itself and the other creatures that are on earth and stars and firmament and the angelic host and the almighty Trinity.

⁷ Or the five talents spoken of here are the five books of Moses’ law; for it has its unfailing profit for the people of the New Testament, since unity of the two Testaments is found thus — a law with the gospel: for if one takes the five times two it makes ten. And if the ten be taken times four it makes forty. It is the same as the truth — the five books of Moses with the ten commandments of the divine law, agree with the four books of the gospel, to serve the weary man from the four elements(?) and that man shall serve the true God who gave laws and various rules to the wise.

⁸ Now after the law and rule of the five preceding ages, Jesus came here into the world and composed laws and rules through the teaching of the gospel for the human race and for the apostles beyond all, and after them they taught their followers and holy disciples in those rules.

⁹ Now many saints and righteous men fulfilled those laws and rules of the Lord of the elements and did not let their talents be idle — as the noble venerable saint fulfilled them for whom there is feast and commemoration at the occurrence of this season and time — the shining sun and the radiant star and the blazing fire and the gracious beam whom the Sun of Righteousness sent into the world to enlighten the province of Connacht in miracles and marvels — Mo Chua of Balla. On the third of the Kalends of March every year, somewhat of his miracles and marvels is told, and of his bodily genealogy, and of the ending he put to his victorious course here in this present world — Mo Chua, Cronán was his proper name, son of Becán, son of Barr, son of Nathí, son of Lughaidh; Caindech was son of Lughaidh, son of Liligdech, son of Dallán, from whom are the Uí Luigdech, son of Dallán, of the Ulaidh.

¹⁰ Now Cumne daughter of Conamail mac Machdain, of Dál mBuáin, was his mother. Briunsech and Lucait and Tuideall were his three sisters.

¹¹ Now at one time Comgall of Bangor came to the house of the aforementioned Becán, and saw a service of angels over the house, and asked Becán: “What sons have you?” “Two that can be counted,” said Becán, “and a little weak lad who is with the sheep — and he is not to be counted.” “Bring him into the house that we may see him,” said Comgall. He was brought then. Then Comgall said: “My soul is right joyful with this child, for the grace of the Holy Spirit is in his company.” Then Comgall took Mo Chua with him to Bangor, where he read the canon of the Old and New Testaments and the ecclesiastical order, and he did miracles and marvels in that place, in his gilliehood.

¹² Once a barren woman came to ask him to free her from her barrenness. Then it befell him to be threshing(?) after being beaten by his tutor, and he gave her no answer. This is what the woman did: she put her palm under his tears and took them in her mouth, and at once she conceived, and afterwards bore a son — Dabiu was his name.

¹³ Now it is a matter of dispute, and variously do the learned tell the reasons for Mo Chua’s coming from Ulaidh; for some say it was to another stead Comgall carried him off, and that was the cause of their quarrel. Or this is the true reason: at one time his mother brought Mo Chua with her to visit her fatherland — Dál mBuáin — and her kindred; and when they saw him they honoured him, and all forsook(?) for him. Now there was a noble elder of that race — Comán the priest son of Fiachna mac Baetáin; and this is what he said to Mo Chua: “The honour of your fatherland be taken from you as you have taken it from us.” When they — Mo Chua and his mother — were coming back to Bangor, the lads of Fiachna mac Baetáin met them, and they were mocking the cleric, and this is what they said: “A weak cleric.”

¹⁴ “Children without Easter(?),” said Mo Chua. Then he grew very angry with them and put them under the earth. So Comán and Fiachra mac Baetáin complained to Comgall of that deed. Then Comgall said that Mo Chua would not stay in Ulaidh — and it was Comán’s word that caused that. “Since you are banishing me,” said Mo Chua, “give me a token whereby I may know the stead where I shall found a church.” “I have no token,” said Comgall, “save only if you bring this well with you.” “God is able even for that,” said Mo Chua.

¹⁵ Now when Mo Chua went out of Bangor, his companions looked after them, and they saw the watery cloud following them wherever they went. “That is the well there,” said Mo Chua, “and let us pray to it that it may be the one that goes before us and leads us.” And after the manner of Moses son of Amram, before whom the shining cloud used to come out of Egypt, he said that. Then Mo Chua came to Gael, a city in Fir Rois — Gabrán a bishop of the Britons was in it — and he offered the church to Mo Chua, for they were foster-brethren.

¹⁶ Now milk fell from that cloud till it made a well in that stead, in token of their union.

¹⁷ Then Mo Chua came to Fobhar of Féchín. It was at that time a mill was being made at Féchín’s, and he had no water, and this was the counsel the clerics took: “Since Mo Chua has come to us,” said they, “let us go to Loch Lébinn to see whether we shall get water from it.” “That counsel is fruitless,” said the wright(?), “for there is a very great mountain between you.” “God is able even for that,” said Mo Chua. So when the clerics reached the loch, Mo Chua put his crozier into the loch, till it pierced the mountain before it. Féchín did the same, and the clerics moreover, till water was found thus for the mill. Then Féchín and Mo Chua made their union.

¹⁸ Then Mo Chua went from there to Tech Telle in the termon of Durrow, and what he wished was to found a city beside that place, and it was not permitted, for the well did not settle(?) there.

¹⁹ Then Mo Chua went over the Shannon into the province of Connacht. Cellach mac Ragallach was king of Connacht at that time. Now it befell Mo Chua to go into Soghan Ua Maine, and they all knelt to him on seeing him(?), for their origin was of the Ulaidh. Now a pious queen who was in that land honoured him greatly — Baillgel was her name. Now Mo Chua spent forty Lents in that land, and they tried to keep him with them always. “But there shall come,” said Mo Chua, “from yourselves a son of life to serve you.” So Comman was prophesied then.

²⁰ Then he went from them, and left a blessing on them and on their fosterlings and on their sisters’ sons, as he said:

²¹ A blessing on their fosterlings
who shall be obedient to rule:
my blessing right great
upon their good godly wives.

²² Every gillie and every near-son
who shall be obedient to me at once,
he shall have, and it shall not be empty,
land with its fruit.

²³ Then Mo Chua went to Loch Cime. There it was that Cellach mac Raghallach, king of Connacht, was hunting. The beast went into the loch and stopped on a great stone in it, and none dared go after it, for there was a beast in the loch that used to hurt the people greatly. Then the king said to Mo Chua: “If you dare let a man of your people go after the beast under your protection against the monster, let him go.” “God is able even for that,” said Mo Chua. Then the man went into the loch and killed the wild stag that was on the flagstone, and this is what he said: “How good,” said he, “is this island place.” Then the warrior came swimming, and the beast swallowed him in one morsel(?) — and the king reproached Mo Chua.

²⁴ Now the cleric grew angry at the beast, till it spewed up the warrior whole and sound in the hosts’ presence, and it never hurt anyone thereafter. God’s name and Mo Chua’s were magnified by that miracle, and the king and most of the hosts knelt to Mo Chua. And that was the beginning of his high grace in the province of Connacht.

²⁵ Then Mo Chua went over the Odhbha northwards into the district of Cera, till he reached Ros Dairbriuch, as he said:

²⁶ Ros n-Dairbhrech, the city of Mo Chua —
which is called Balla ever-new,
beloved is its angelic pure host(?),
Ros n-Dairbhrech of the holy yews.

²⁷ Balla it is called by holy men now —
the common name with fair fame;
Ros n-Dairbhrech was its name
in the time of Tuathal the Rough-ferocious(?).

²⁸ From the border of Bangor of the cold fords
to the plain of Cera of the fair hosts,
from the land of Fir Domnann of the bushes,
Comgall sent him to fair Ros.

²⁹ He stayed a night in that fort. Now when the companions looked above them the next day they saw not the well. Mo Chua told them to look for the well. Then a scholar said to them: “There is a fair-spotted(topar ball-aluinn) well below.” “From that shall the stead be named,” said Mo Chua — as he himself said:

³⁰ Balla shall be the name of the stead,
for it fell to my lot;
that shall be its name henceforth
till the last flood come.

³¹ He thanked God that the place of his church had been shown him. Now Mo Chua was thirty-five years old at that time, and he was twenty-one years serving the Lord in that place till he went to heaven:

³² Verse.
Twenty-one years without stint
was Mo Chua in the province of Connacht —
walls of clay piercing his side,
so hard the piety of the thin-skinned one.

³³ Now Eochaidh Minnech, the lord of Clann Fhiachrach, came to dispute with the cleric. Now an angel had been shown to him over the oakwood where Mo Chua was, and when the cleric saw him he drew near at once. Now thus was Mo Chua at that time — in a stone prison. Eochaid came towards the cleric, and a hundred of his people’s nobles with him — Maine with his seven sons, and Domhnall and Feradhach and Mael Cathaigh and Ronán and Suibhne and Fintan Finn, and the nobles of Clann Fiacrach. And though they had intended to slay the cleric, it was his will they did, for the spiritual rays and the divine service shone out of his face. Then they offered the stead to him with its land by leave of Cellach mac Raghallach, therefore for its founding the historian sang:

³⁴ From the stone of Cú’s fort of the champion’s hard work(?)
to the Bog of Adoration northward,
from Magh Moetla with its bog
to Croit Cualachta of the great fence(?).

³⁵ Thus they gave their land —
the Clann Rosa, right numerous,
without hardship in their souls —
a very mighty monks’ fee.

³⁶ A circuit every strong third year,
both men and women and children,
to Cua of the narrow prison,
for entreaty, for keening.

³⁷ A cow of every manly man all,
both king and common man,
to famous Cua in company —
the clothing of every ollam.

³⁸ A great pig of every house northward
from Traigh Eothuili to the Muaidh;
a scruple of every hearth without thirst(?)
to the sanctuary of the province of Connacht.

³⁹ It was Mo Chua’s without refusal
from Odhbha of the faithful hosts;
his flood was violent
to the stormy strand of Eothuili.

⁴⁰ Thus he founded his church and his community, and he took three bishops to consecrate his burial-ground and his church and to divide the land among his monks.

⁴¹ Now of Mo Chua’s miracles: a certain barren woman came to him, and he blessed two stalks of watercress for her, and she at once conceived a son and a daughter — Lucenchair the Pious and Scannlán were they.

⁴² Another wondrous miracle moreover: Mo Chua went to Loch Cime, and the servants told Cind Fhaeladh mac Colcan — for he was king of Connacht at that time: “There is,” said they, “a soul-friend of Cellach mac Raghallach outside.” “We do not believe it,” said Cend Faoladh, “that he is a soul-friend to Cellach mac Ragallach, and he has not come into this island.” Then Mo Chua brought the loch over the island(?) — the king went perforce in a boat after Mo Chua — and gave himself and his son and his grandson in vassalage to him, and the island to be freed; and it was freed thereafter.

⁴³ Now it was of Mo Chua’s miracles: Síl Muiredaigh were in the Buidhe Conaill(?), and the clerics of the province of Connacht sought to take them from them(?) and found them not, till they came to where Mo Chua was, and he healed them, and put the colour that was on them on his crozier, and they gave him their monks’ fee then; therefore to mark it the historian said:

⁴⁴ Síl Muiredaigh sought
the lands of Ireland and isles
for protection from the man-plague,
till they came to Balla.

⁴⁵ Síl Muiredaigh promised
the will of the bright pure cleric,
that their treasures to Balla
would be as countless as foliage.

⁴⁶ He put on his holy crozier
the sickness of the whole district;
therefore it happened —
hence is the Yellow Crozier(Bachal Bhuidhe).

⁴⁷ Fifteen hundred, by fives, came
of proud clean-weaponed men —
till doom, for their service to the saint —
they shall be no fewer.

⁴⁸ Every need that shall come to you(?),
invoke my name to God —
ever you shall not be visited by
soul-destruction after it.

⁴⁹ Now of Mo Chua’s miracles: once he went into the district of the Muaidh till he reached Inis Amhalgadh, and no boat was brought to him. “It will not be needful now,” said Mo Chua, “to ask for a boat.” Then the earth rose till a sod could be put on his foot, from then to this day.

⁵⁰ Once he went with four others to the brink of the Muaidh. The fishermen refused them. “By God’s life,” said he, “if God’s servant came you would get something.” Then the seal cast four salmon for them ashore.

⁵¹ Another time Mo Chua sent his servant to converse with Foelán. When he reached All in Cleibh(?), two female warriors who were in the land came to him — Bec daughter of Con Chorag and Lithben daughter of Aitreabhthach; and this was the accursed practice they used to do: the man who passed them they used to put in a basket, and two(?) of them — and shake him over the horrible cliff. It was revealed to Mo Chua that his gillie had been put in the basket. Mo Chua went and reached the place. Lithben daughter of Aitreabhthach served him at once, and Bec did not let the gillie go from her till the cleric gave her his cowl. Then it blazed about her hands, and she served the cleric thereafter. And the maidens accused their two fathers, till they gave themselves to Mo Chua, and Mo Chua baptised them thereafter.

⁵² Now that Bec came and was seven years serving Mo Chua, until she was one time lamenting that she was without children; and it was the same thing that Coel mac Aedha, elder of Cenél Aedha, said, and they two came and gave their monks’ fee to Mo Chua for ever.

⁵³ Now Taithlech mac Cind Fhaelad had a lump/disease(ailsi). Mo Chua healed him, and set him on his own flagstone, and it is on it still, to prove those great miracles.

⁵⁴ At a certain summer-time Mo Chua was sent to watch the lambs. Now he was singing his prayers in their middle. The lambs ran together to their mothers, for there was no fence between them. Mo Chua came and drew his crozier after him on the ground, and none of the lambs dared cross the crozier’s track, but each went looking at its fellow over the track inwards.

⁵⁵ One day a paralysed gillie was brought to Mo Chua, who could not move his hands or his feet or any of his joints. Mo Chua touched all the gillie’s joints with his hand, and said to him: “Arise in Jesus’ name, and look at the sun and walk”; and he arose at once, and God’s name and Mo Chua’s were magnified thereby.

⁵⁶ Another time a possessed man was brought to Mo Chua. He drove the demon from him in the name of the Trinity.

⁵⁷ One night a thief came to steal Mo Chua’s wheat. When the thief lifted the sheaf(?) on himself he withered at once, and could neither move nor put the sheaf off him, until Mo Chua blessed him thereafter.

⁵⁸ Another time a worldly man came with a deaf son of his to Mo Chua, and he prayed him that he would heal his son for him; and Mo Chua prayed the Lord for him, and the boy was whole by God’s powers and by Mo Chua’s prayer, and God’s name and Mo Chua’s were magnified thereby.

⁵⁹ Now this man — Mo Chua — gave all his service from the beginning of his life to wisdom and piety. It is he that feared the Lord from his infancy. It is he that crushed every sin. It is he that drowned in himself the delight of the present world. It is he that subdued the lust of his flesh. It is he that forgot present joys. It is he whose mind and thought never turned from the constant gazing on the heavenly kingdom. It is he that hated the temporal goods that kill wretches. It is he that shunned the world’s honours like death. It is he that dreaded the treasures and the wealth. It is he that kept chastising the bodily pleasure as though it were venom. It is he that gave no love to bodily filth. It is he that gave forgiveness to everyone who did him ill. It is he that subdued his body and offered it to the divine service. It is he that was kindled by the fire of God’s love, and used to kindle from that same fire the hearts of other men. It is he that loved his neighbour as himself. It is he that transported(?) to the bodies and souls of men. It is he that loved his enemies as he loved his friends. It is he that prayed blessings on anyone, though he hated(?) him. It is he that used to pray for the faults of his persecutors and his revilers. It is he that was most patient in enduring every trouble and every tribulation. It is he that used to give things divine and human to everyone who asked him. It is he that used to help everyone who was in need like a father. It is he that used to visit everyone who was in prison or in bonds, and loose them. It is he that used to give wealth to free every captive and every slave. It is he that used to give clothing to the poor and needy of the Lord. It is he that was prosperous and rich to the poor, though he was poor and needy himself. It is he that used to give food to the hungry and drink to the thirsty and clothing to the naked and general welcome to guests and to everyone who needed it. It is he that used to shelter the orphans and the wretched widows. It is he that used to free the poor and the feeble from the powers of the world. It is he that loved not gold and silver save as stones or ashes. It is he that never moved his mouth or tongue to vanity. It is he that never let any reproach come to him through his hearing. It is he that used to store in his heart everything God said to him. It is he that saw nothing that was not right for him to see. It is he that never took a step in vanity. It is he that subdued his senses from coveting earthly things. It is he that bound the thoughts of his mind in the holy heavens. It is he that never let any idle fruitless hour pass from him. It is he that never let his heart go from God. It is he that desired to endure everything for Christ’s sake, that he might reach the heavenly fatherland. It is he that kept the everlasting rest for himself through subduing his body in fasting, in abstinence, quia crucifixus est mundus illi et ipse mundo (Gal. 6:14) — for the world is crucified to him, and he to the world.