Stokes, Lives of Saints from the Book of Lismore (1890)

¹ “Omnia quaecumque vultis ut faciant homines vobis, ita et vos faciatis illis” (Mt. 7:12) — that is, “Every good thing that you would have men do to you, do even so to them. Haec est enim lex et prophetae, for that is the Law and the Prophets.”

² “Shun every evil, yearn after every good, make peace between God and men.” It is Jesus Christ, the Son of the living God, the Saviour of the whole world, who spoke these words for the instruction of His apostles and disciples and all the churches, in fulfilment of charity — that men should do to their fellow-men the good and the alms which they would have done to themselves. It is for this that Jesus says, “Omnia quaecumque vultis…” Now Matthew son of Alphaeus, the perfect sage of the Hebrews, the fourth man who told of the holy Gospel, it is he wrote these words in the body of the Gospel, following the track of his Master, namely Jesus: “Omnia quaecumque…” — “If you give your good things to your children, much more will the heavenly Father give good things to His children, non quaerit” — so it is on the track of these words that Jesus gave this counsel.

³ “Omnia quaecumque,” and the rest — for the Law and the Prophets require that love be given to God and to one’s neighbour. For alms is the prop and chief point of divine teaching: it is the distinctive jewel of Christians, for all other virtues are found with good men and with evil men alike. Only good men practise alms, however, and therefore Jesus says: “By this shall all men know that you are Mine, if you love one another as I have loved you” (Mt. 5:46; Lk. 6:32).

⁴ Now a great multitude of the sons of life — both apostles and disciples of the Lord — have from that time till now fulfilled that counsel which Jesus gave them, diligently and earnestly, as to the fulfilment of almsgiving, as he fulfilled it and gave especial love to alms beyond every virtue — the noble worshipful apostle, the soul-friend, the obedient one, the man for whom the west of the world was enkindled with his miracles and marvels, his virtues and his good deeds: Saint Ciaran, sacerdos et apostolus Christi. That noble priest and apostle, namely the holy Ciaran son of the Wright, Son of the Wright who made heaven and earth and all that is in them, if His heavenly lineage be reckoned; son of the Wright of chariot-making and of every other craftsmanship besides, by his earthly lineage.

⁵ It is on this day that the faithful devoutly honour that noble man, on the ninth of the kalends of the month of the sun of September, on this very day, the day of the week’s course. A brief commemoration of his miracles and wonders is here recounted for the comforting of the souls of the faithful, and of his corporal kindred and of his birth, his life, and the end he made of his victorious course amid earthly things.

⁶ A man greatly honoured by the Lord was this man. A man whose city God foreordained fifty years before his birth. A man in the rank of the apostles of Christ in this world, as Colum Cille said: “Cum tu Christi apostolum mundo misisti hominem” — “when you did send into the world a man who was Christ’s apostle” (Alto et ineffabili, Lib. Hymn. I, 157). A lamp he was, burning with the light of wisdom and teaching, as Colum Cille said: “Lucerna huius insulae lucens mirabiliter” — “a lamp of this island shining wondrously”. A man who founded a chief church from which a pattern of rule and wisdom and teaching was carried to all the churches of Ireland, as the same sage said: “Custodiantur regmina” and the rest — that is, “that the rules and teachings and ordered customs received from the master, from Ciarán, may be kept by the elders of this city”, so that they are the rules and customs which were spread and carried to all the holy cities of Ireland; for from it the rule and custom are borne over all Ireland.

⁷ A man in the rank of the chief prophets with the Lord in this world, as the same prophet said: “Propheta qui novissimus”, and the rest; for so great was his honour and worship with the Lord that his birth was prophesied by prophets long before, as Isaac and John the Baptist prophesied Jesus — such is their honour in this.

⁸ First of all Patrick son of Calpurnius prophesied him in Cruachan Aigle, after enclosing the tree about his relics in the place where this city stands to-day. Brigit prophesied him when she saw the flame and the angel fifty years before Ciarán in the place where the Crosses of Brigit stand to-day. Bec mac Dé prophesied him when he said: “There, son of the Wright, you shall be… a fair shower with(?) strains, with melodies, with harps, with songs.” Colum Cille prophesied him in Ard Abla to Áed son of Brénainn.

⁹ Now this is the genealogy of Ciarán: Ciarán son of Beóed son of Olcán son of Díchon son of Corc son of Cuindeann son of Cuinned son of Fíacc son of Mael Cathrach son of Laire son of Lairne son of Cuiltra son of Glúniae son of Coirpre son of Lóega son of Meidil son of Dub son of Lugna son of Feidlimid son of Eochaid son of Bresal son of Degad son of Reo Soirche son of Reo Doirche son of Tigernmas son of Follach son of Ethréol son of Íréol Fáid son of Érimón son of Míl Espáine.

¹⁰ Beóed then, son of Olcán of the Latharna of Mag Molt of the Ulaid, was the earthly father of Ciarán; and Dar Erca daughter of Ercán son of Buachall was his mother, as Ciarán himself said:

¹¹ “Dar Erca is my mother — she was no bad woman; Beóed the wright my father, of the Latharna of Molt.”

¹² On his mother’s side he was of the Ciarraige of Irrus Luachair, namely of the Glasraige in particular. Glas the poet was his grandfather. This was the cause of the union of those two peoples: when Beóed came on a visit to his kinsmen who were in the territory of Cenél Fiachrach, he saw the maiden, namely Dar Erca, and asked her of her parents, and she was given to him in lawful wedlock. And she bore him five sons afterwards, and this is the order in which they were born: Lucoll the first-born, Donnán the second, Ciarán the third, Ódrán the fourth, Crónán the fifth — and he was a deacon, while the other four sons were noble priests. She bore him three daughters also, and two of them were virgins, namely Lugbec and Rathbeo; the third daughter was Pata, and she was a devout widow. These are the burial-grounds where the relics of those saints rest: Lucoll and Ódrán in Ísel Ciaráin; Donnán and Ciarán in Cluain mac Nóis; Crónán the deacon and Beóed and the three daughters in Tech meic in tSáir.

¹³ There was a graceless king at that time in the territory of Uí Néill — Ainmire mac Colgáin was his name. He used to oppress the tribes and the kindreds under heavy tribute. So Beóed fled from that king into the territory of Connacht, to Crimthann son of Lugaid son of Dallán, king of Ireland, to Ráith Chremthainn in Mag Áí.

¹⁴ It was there that Ciarán was conceived, on the eighth of the kalends of June, and he was born on the eighth of the kalends of March. The birth of Ciarán was prophesied by Lugbrann, the druid of the aforementioned king. The druid said: “Before I was taken in the goatskin of Aengus that was in the cradle in this one day” — for that miracle had been wrought on Ciarán by God. When the druid heard one day the sound of the chariot, “The sound of a chariot under a king is here,” said he. When the lads went out, they saw nothing but Beóed and Dar Erca in the chariot. When the lads had come back to the druid, this is what he said: “The son that is in the woman’s womb,” said he, “will be a great king; and as the sun outshines the stars of heaven, so will he outshine in his miracles and wonders the wonders that are wrought on earth.”

¹⁵ So the holy Ciarán was born afterwards in Mag Áí at Ráith Chremthainn. He was baptized by the deacon Justus — for it was fitting that the righteous man should be baptized by a righteous man.

¹⁶ One day the horse of Aengus son of Crimthann died, and great grief for his horses took hold of Aengus. Now when Aengus had fallen asleep, God’s angel appeared to him in a dream and said to him: “Ciarán mac an tSáir will come and will awaken your horse for you.” And that was fulfilled: Ciarán came at the angel’s word and blessed water which was poured over the horse, and it arose at once from death. Moreover Aengus gave a great territory to God and to Ciarán for the awakening of the horse. Tír na Gabrae is the name of that land.

¹⁷ One day his mother reproached him. “The boys of the town,” said she, “bring honey out with them from the hives for their households, and you never bring it home to us.” When Ciarán heard that, he went to a certain well and filled his vessel out of it and blessed it so that it was choice honey, and gave that honey to his mother, who was thankful. And that is the honey that was given to the deacon Justus as the price of his baptism.

¹⁸ One day wicked men set a fierce hound upon Ciarán to tear him. When Ciarán saw the hound he sang this verse: “Ne tradas bestiis animam confitentem tibi” — “Deliver not to beasts the soul that confesses You” (Ps. 73:19). And when he had said that, the hound fell down at once, and rose not again from that hour.

¹⁹ Now this was the task his parents used to give him — herding, after the likeness of David son of Jesse and of Jacob and of the elders of old, for God knew that he would be a vigilant herdsman of great flocks, namely the flocks of the faithful.

²⁰ Afterwards a wondrous thing befell at Ráith Chremthainn in Mag Áí: he keeping cattle for his fosterer, the deacon Justus, at Fidarta — and there was a long distance between them. Yet he used to hear what his fosterer said as though they were side by side. It was then that a fox came to Ciarán out of the wood and was tame towards him. It used to come to him often, until he commanded it to do service for him — namely, to carry his psalter between him and his fosterer, the deacon Justus. For whenever the deacon would say at Fidarta, “Say this, in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,” Ciarán used to hear it at Ráith Chremthainn from that till the end of the lesson; and the fox used to be submissive at the praying of the lesson, until it had the writing on wax, which it used to bring afterwards to Ciarán.

²¹ Once it happened that its natural fierceness broke out through the fox, so that it fell to eating the book — for it was greedy for the leather that was about it outside. While it was eating the book, Aengus son of Crimthann came upon them with warriors and with wolf-hounds, so that they beset it and it found no shelter in any place until it went under Ciarán’s cowl. God’s name and Ciarán’s were magnified through the preserving of the book from the fox, and through the protecting of the fox from the hounds — and that book is Ciarán’s Polaire to-day.

²² That is a fitting comparison for the wicked men who are near the Church and who enjoy the Church’s wealth, both communion and baptism and food and teaching, and yet stay not to support the Church, until murrain and unknown disease come upon them, so that then they are obliged to come under the Church’s protection, as the fox went under Ciarán’s cowl.

²³ One day Ciarán’s mother was making a blue dye, so that it reached the putting of cloth into it. Then his mother said to him: “Off with you, Ciarán! It is not seemly for them to have men in one house at the dyeing of cloth.” “Let there be a dun stripe on it,” said Ciarán. Now of every cloth that was put into the dye there was not one of them without a dun stripe on it. The dye was made a second time, and his mother said to him: “Go you out again this time, Ciarán, and let there be no dun stripe on it this time, Ciarán.” Then he said:

²⁴ “Alleluia, O Lord — may my foster-mother’s dye-vat be bright! Every time it comes to my hand, may it be whiter than bone; every time it comes to boiling, may it be whiter than curds!”

²⁵ Now every cloth that was put into it was all-white afterwards. The dye was made a third time. “Ciarán,” said his mother, “do not spoil the dye for me this time, but let it be blessed by you.” So Ciarán blessed it, and there was never made before or after a dye as good: for though all the cloths of Cenél Fiachrach were put after it, it would dye them blue — and at last it would dye the hounds and the cats and the trees that it touched.

²⁶ Once while he was herding cows, a very wretched dog came to him. This was his customary saying — “God have mercy on you!” — “Arise and eat the calf, and break not and eat not its bones.” The dog went and did so. When the cow cried out for her calf, his mother said to him: “Tell me, Ciarán, where the calf of this cow is; the calf must be yielded by you wherever it has gone.” Ciarán went to the place where the dog had eaten the calf, and gathered the calf’s bones and put them before the cow, and the calf arose and stood.

²⁷ One day raiders came from Uí Failge to slay men in Cenél Fiachrach, and they found the holy Ciarán reading over his cattle, and they resolved to kill him; but he took their sight from them, and they could not stir foot or hand until they did penance, and they were released through the word of God and of Ciarán.

²⁸ Another time his father sent him to deliver a cauldron to the king, namely to Furban; and the poor came to meet him on the way, and he gave the king’s cauldron to them. So he was bound then, and enslavement was put upon him at the king’s, and the task that was laid upon him was the grinding of a quern. Wondrous great miracles befell there — that is, whenever he undertook to grind the quern or turn it alone, he used to do so continually, and it was angels of the Lord who used to grind to succour him. It was not long after that until smiths came from the lands of Munster with three sets of smith’s tools, as an alms for Ciarán — and so Ciarán was freed from the king’s service.

²⁹ After these things, Ciarán thought it time to go a-schooling to learn wisdom under Finnén of Cluain Iraird. Now he asked a cow of his mother and of his father to take with him for his schooling. His mother said she would not give it him. So he blessed a cow of the cattle — the Dun Cow of Ciarán has been its name from that time forth — and it went with its calf after Ciarán from there to Cluain Iraird. Then he made a ditch between them with his staff — for there was no hedge between them — and the cow used to lick the calf, and neither of them used to cross the boundary. Now the milk of that cow used to be divided among the twelve bishops and their households and their guests, and it sustained them all — as one said:

³⁰ “Fair food, full and complete, the Dun Cow of Ciarán used to give to feast — to lepers, to the poor, to the folk of the refectory and of the sunny chamber.”

³¹ Now the hide of the Dun Cow is at Cluain mac Nóis, and every soul that parts from its body upon that hide possesses the everlasting life.

³² Now the twelve bishops of Ireland were in Finnén’s school at Cluain Iraird, as one said:

³³ .r. “Two Finnens, two holy Colums, Ciarán, Cainnech, Comgall the fair, two Brénainns, Ruadán the splendid, Ninnid, Mo-Bí, mac Nat-Fraích — that is, Mo-Laisse of Dam Inis.”

³⁴ This was their custom: each bishop of them ground the quern on his day. Now angels used to grind the quern whose turn fell to Ciarán on his day.

³⁵ Once the daughter of the king of Cualu was brought to Finnén to read her psalms after offering her virginity to God. Finnén committed the maiden to Ciarán that she might read her psalms with him. Now Ciarán never saw anything of the maiden’s body while they were together save her feet only.

³⁶ Then twelve lepers came to Finnén to be healed. Finnén sent them to Ciarán. Ciarán welcomed them and went with them west of the church, and struck a sod out of the earth so that a stream of pure water burst out of it. He poured three waves of the water over each man of them, so that they were made perfectly whole at once.

³⁷ In that same school a wild stag used to come to Ciarán, and he would put his book on the antlers of the stag. One day Ciarán heard the bell and rose up quickly at the bell — so quickly that the wild stag rose up, and went off with the book on its antlers. Though wet was that day and night, and though the book was open, not one letter in it was wetted. The clerk arose the next day, and the wild stag brought him his book unharmed.

³⁸ In that same school, too, Ninnid of the Squinting Eye came from Loch Éirne to read with Finnén, and he had no book. “Look for a book,” said Finnén. Ninnid made a round of the school and got a book from none of them. “did you ask the well-nurtured lad who is in the north of the green?” said Finnén. “I shall go now,” said Ninnid. Now when Ninnid reached him, Ciarán was crossing the middle testimony of Matthew’s book: “Omnia quaecumque vultis ut faciant homines vobis, ita et vos faciatis illis” (Mt. 7:12). “I have come to borrow a book,” said Ninnid. “God have mercy on you!” said Ciarán. “It is from it I am learning, and it is what the testimony says to me: ‘Everything you would have done to you, do it to another.’ Take the book,” said Ciarán. His companions asked him the next day, as they made the lesson, where his book was. “I gave it away,” said Ninnid. “Then Ciarán-half-of-Matthew shall be his name,” said one of the school. “No,” said Finnén, “but Ciarán-half-of-Ireland,” all of it — as Finnén said:

³⁹ “With Finnén studied Ciarán the devout and wondrous; half the book was his when learning — half of Ireland his after it.”

⁴⁰ From that time the honourable word was brought to Rome, to Alexander: “non legam Marcum quo usque compleveram Mattheum” — “he will not read Mark until he has completed Matthew.”

⁴¹ Then a scarcity of grain and of food came upon that school, so that a good man of them must go around to keep the sack of grain that used to be given to the mill. It fell to Ciarán in turn to take a sack of oats to the mill. As he opened the sack he said: “O Lord,” said he, “I would gladly that it were fine wheat, a great, delightful, worshipful satisfaction for the elders.” It befell even so — an angel of God turned the mill in his hand, and he singing his psalms with purity of heart and mind, and the oats that were put in came out as choice wheat. Then came the daughter of the miller, who gazed at Ciarán and loved him, for his face was fairer than that of any man of his age. “No,” said Ciarán — “is it not rather your look should be on the world’s departure and the day of doom, on the pains of hell to escape them, and on heaven’s reward to reach it?” When the maiden went to her house she told the tale to her father and to her mother. They came and offered the maiden to Ciarán. “If she offers her virginity to God,” said Ciarán, “and to serve Him, we are content with her.”

⁴² So the maiden offered her virginity to God and to Ciarán, and he offered all her people in perpetual service and perpetual fealty to Ciarán from then on. When they went home, a share was sent from them to Ciarán — three loaves of wheat with their sufficiency of salt and of food, and a vessel full of ale.

⁴³ When those messengers had left and had taken a blessing, he said: “God have mercy on us!” said he. “It is not fitting for us to eat this, away from the other brethren.” Then the food was all cast after its grinding into the mill, and the ale was cast in so that it made fine wheat-flour of them all. When Ciarán perceived the messenger watching them from the corner, he rebuked him, saying to him: “May a crane take out your eye from your head!” It befell even so thereafter: for a crane-bird took his eye out of his head so that it lay on his cheek as he went to his house. The airchinnech came at once with the messenger and they prostrated themselves before Ciarán, and offered the mill with all its land to Ciarán as the price of the lad. Ciarán put his palm to the eye so that it went into its place, and put the sign of the cross over it, so that he was perfectly whole.

⁴⁴ Now when the grinding of the grain was finished, four full sacks of consecrated wheat were found there through the grace of God and of Ciarán. When he had gone to his house with his grain, he made wafers for the elders. The best wafers that ever were given them. Since the time when the secret manna was found among the children of Israel, the like of those wafers was not found — for so it was that it had the savour of every good food, both mead and wine, and it satisfied and healed them all. For every sick person in the whole town who ate anything of it was perfectly whole at once.

⁴⁵ The elders did not arise that night until prime the next day. When Finnén asked Ciarán about the miracle that had befallen, Ciarán told all, from beginning to the giving of the mill and of the land with its appurtenances and its people to him as an offering. “And yours, Finnén, be that land all,” said Ciarán. Then Finnén gave his blessing earnestly to Ciarán. As Finnén said:

⁴⁶ “O Ciarán, dear heart! For your holiness I love you; may grace come to you, O little dear, in your lordship and your land. O noble, worshipful, most famous Ciarán! To you may every answer be prosperous, that in your wide-walled church you may be in honour and in wisdom.”

⁴⁷ Now that blessing was earnestly given to Ciarán through exceeding love and through spiritual intoxication. So that then he left half of the alms, honour, and wisdom of the men of Ireland with Ciarán and with his city. So Ciarán left his own… and for his city, from where comes Finnén’s… That grain was sown like Finnén’s until the end of forty days and nights, and a third of it was stored for sick folk — for it healed every sickness, and mouse nor worm dared destroy it until earth was made of it at last; and it healed every sickness on whom it was bestowed.

⁴⁸ One day Ciarán was gathering a reaping-party, when a certain warrior named Clúain happened to meet him. “Give us help with the reaping to-morning,” said Ciarán. “I will,” said Clúain. But when Clúain had gone to his house, he said to his people: “Say,” said he, “that I am sick when they come for me from Ciarán.” When the messenger who went for him had been told this, he reported it to Ciarán. Ciarán laughed on hearing it, and perceived that Clúain was shamming, for Ciarán was a prophet of the true God. Now when Clúain’s people went to wake him, they found him thus — lifeless. His people lamented him greatly, and the folk of the neighbourhood about them came and asked them the reason of the lamentation. “Clúain,” said they, “went whole to his bed and is dead now; and it is Ciarán who killed him by his word, because he went not to the reaping with him.” All that people go to entreat Ciarán for the quickening of the dead man. “We will all do,” said they, “reaping for you, and we will give our service and our labour to you and to God for ever, if you will quicken the dead man for us.” Then said Ciarán to his scholar: “Go you,” said he, “and take my staff with you to the dead man, and set the sign of the cross of the staff on his breast, and take this verse:

⁴⁹ ‘Clúain promised to-day to come to me a-reaping — but it is a splendid sickness that found him alive in his house, dead upon his back.’”

⁵⁰ Then Clúain arose at once, and came quickly to Ciarán. “Blessing on you, holy Ciarán,” said he. “Well is it for me what you have done to me, for I am glad to have come from the many pains of hell. Now we know the profit of obedience, and the loss of disobedience; and we have learned how great is the privilege that you have with the Lord, and that the household of heaven has it in common.”

⁵¹ Then he did homage to Ciarán, and gave him his service.

⁵² Some of the clerks asked Finnén who should read the prayers when Finnén was not present. “There warrior,” said Finnén — that is, Ciarán, “he.” “O, a headship you give him,” said Brénainn above them all. “It is given, it will be given, it shall be given,” said Finnén. Envy then among the saints at that saying — save only Colum Cille.

⁵³ Then one of them asked which of the saints would have the greatest reward in heaven. “God have mercy on us!” said Ciarán. “It will be known in our… on earth.” Then Brénainn of Birr prophesied to him: “We shall have two holdings,” said he. “Between Brénainn, on two streams between two chief cities — and the difference that is between the two streams shall be between the sizes of the cities.”

⁵⁴ Now when it was time for Ciarán to go from Cluain Iraird after learning reading and wisdom, he left the Dun Cow with holy Ninnid — but he said that its hide should come to him afterwards; and Ciarán also said: “Though many a thing may help from its milk, its hide will help more.” And he said: “Every soul that goes from its body on the hide of the Dun shall not be punished in hell.”

⁵⁵ Finnén saw a vision concerning him and concerning Colum Cille — two moons in the air with the colour of gold upon them. One of them went over the sea northward over the middle of Ireland: Colum Cille that, with the brightness of his nobility and his good kindred; and Ciarán with the brightness of his almsgiving and his mercy.

⁵⁶ Ciarán goes afterwards to converse with the king of Ireland, namely Tuathal Maelgarb, to ask of him a bondmaid he had. Now Ciarán put his fist about the… for alms, and promised that he would be submissive after the bondmaid. Then Tuathal released the bondmaid to God and to Ciarán, and moreover gave his royal clothing, and Ciarán gave it at once to the poor.

⁵⁷ Once Ciarán went to ask another bondmaid of the king, namely of Furbaide. Then another man gave him a cow as an offering; another gave him a cloak; another gave him a… He gave them all to the poor at once on the same day, and God gave three offerings that were better to Ciarán — a cauldron in place of his…, twelve cloaks in place of his one cloak, twelve cows in place of his one cow. When the king saw that, he gave him the bondmaid.

⁵⁸ When the time came for him to take leave, he asked his fosterer that his city might serve him. “No,” said Finnén, “your city does not belong to any other but to God who has given a special love to you beyond us all.” Ciarán wept, for he deemed it noble that his fosterer should give him his city. “Yet there shall be unity between us notwithstanding,” said Finnén, “and he will not be a heavenly or an earthly man who shall break our unity.” “So be it,” said Ciarán. Ciarán set out afterwards. And then it was that Colum Cille spoke this testimony of him:

⁵⁹ Amra — “A warrior goes from us westward, Ciarán son of the Wright; without greed, without pride, without envy, without contentions, without satire.”

⁶⁰ Afterwards Ciarán went to Aran to converse with Énna, and Ciarán and Énna both saw one vision — a great fruitful tree beside a stream in the middle of Ireland, and it sheltered the island of Ireland; and its fruit went across the sea that was about the island outside, and the birds of the world used to come and take somewhat of its fruit. Ciarán told the vision to Énna. Énna said: “The great tree that you saw — yourself are the… great beside the fort and the peoples — it shall be full of Ireland, your… you shall shelter under the shadow of your grace this island, and multitudes shall be satisfied by the grace of your fasting and your prayer. Go then by God’s word upon the bank of a stream, and found a church there.”

⁶¹ Once when he was in Aran being rowed in the…, and Lonán Cerr with him — and he had always been in strife with Ciarán — they saw the boat that had been newly calked before them. “I think,” said Lonán, “that boat will be drowned to-day, and this… will be burned by the greatness of the wind.” “No,” said Ciarán, “that boat will be burned, and it is by drowning that this… with its grain will be drowned.” And that was fulfilled, for the boat’s crew arrived and the boat was brought beside the…, fire took hold of the… and the boat was burned, and the wind rose upon the… with its grain into the sea, so that it was drowned through the word of Ciarán.

⁶² When Ciarán had come from Aran, a poor man met him on the way. Ciarán gave him his linen casula and went to Inis Cathaig to be blessed by Senán. When he was in a single cloak, that was revealed to Senán, and he came to meet him with a linen casula under his arm, and said to Ciarán: “Is it not shameful,” said he, “for a priest to go without a cowl?” “God have mercy on you!” said Ciarán. “God will show that there is a cowl for me under my old man’s protection.” When Ciarán had come to Cluain mac Nóis, he wished that another casula be sent from him to Senán. The casula was let down by the stream of the Shannon, and it reached, unwetted, the port of Inis Cathaig. Senán said to the monks: “Go to the sea and you shall find a guest there, and bring it with you in honour and reverence.” When the monks had gone out, they found the casula upon the sea — dry — and brought it with them to Senán, and he gave thanks to the Lord; and that is Senán’s casula to-day.

⁶³ Afterwards he went with his brethren to Ísel, and Cobthach son of Brecán gave Ísel to God and to Ciarán, and he lived there with the brethren.

⁶⁴ And while he was at his lesson outside in the field, he went to visit his guests and left his book open till morning under the rain — and not a drop of wet reached the book.

⁶⁵ Once Ciarán was sowing seed in Ísel. A poor man came to him. Ciarán gave him a handful of the grain in his bosom — and the grain was turned at once into gold. A chariot with its horses was given to Ciarán by Aengus mac Crimthainn. Ciarán gave it to the poor man for the gold; and the gold was turned back into grain, and the field was sown with it.

⁶⁶ Now there was a lake beside Ísel, and the lay folk and the base rabble used to inhabit the island that was on it, and the uproar and noise of that lake-folk used to vex the clerks. Ciarán besought the Lord to remove the island from its place; and that was done — and the place where it had been in the lake is still seen in remembrance of that miracle.

⁶⁷ Now since the brethren could not bear Ciarán’s almsgiving for its greatness, and since envy had seized them, they said to him: “Depart from us,” said they, “for we cannot be in one place.” Ciarán said: “If it be here,” said he, “though Ísel be the name of this place for its lowness, it would be high for its honour and reverence.” Then he said this:

⁶⁸ “Though Ísel (“low”) be its name, it would be high had not the ‘high’ come: if the ‘high’ had not come, low though it were, it would be high.”

⁶⁹ Then Ciarán put his books on a wild stag. So he commended the wild stag everywhere it went. The stag went before him to Inis Angin. He went into the island, and inhabited it.

⁷⁰ Afterwards his brethren came to him from every airt. There was a noble priest in the island — Daniel his name; he was of the Britons — and the Devil incited him so that he was envious towards Ciarán. Then a royal cup with three golden birds was brought to him from Ciarán as a token of forgiveness. The priest wondered at that, and did penance and prostrated himself before Ciarán, and gave him the island.

⁷¹ Once when Ciarán was on Inis Angin he heard the call in the port. He said to the brethren: “Arise,” said he, “to meet the father of your abbacy.” When they reached the port they found there only a tender lay-youth. They said it to Ciarán: “Go,” said he, “for that again to meet him. It is clear to me from his voice that it is he who shall be abbot over you after me.” Then the youth was brought into the island to Ciarán, and Ciarán tonsured him and he read with him — and that was Énna son of úa Laigse, a wondrous holy man of the Lord, and it was he who was abbot after Ciarán.

⁷² It befell that Ciarán’s gospel-book fell into the lake from an heedless brother, and it was long under the lake. One day in summertime the cows went into the lake, and the relic of the gospel-book clove to the foot of one of them, so that it brought it with it to the dry port. Hence is Port an tSoscéoil on Inis Angin. And when the gospel-book was opened, it was thus — bright and dry, without damage to a letter, through Ciarán’s grace.

⁷³ A certain man from Corco Baiscinn came to Ciarán — Donnán his name, a brother’s son of Senán mac Gerrginn, and of one mother with Senán. “What do you desire, or what seek you?” said Ciarán. “To seek a place in your service and in submission to God.” Ciarán left Inis Angin with Donnán. Donnán said: “Since it is to me you have granted(?) leave, leave somewhat of your tokens and of your relics with me.” Ciarán left with him his gospel-book — the gospel-book that was found in the lake — and his bell and his servant, namely Mael Ódráin. Three years and three months Ciarán was on Inis Angin. Then he came to Ard Manntain beside the Shannon. When he saw the beauty of that place, he said: “If we stayed here,” said he, “the riches of the world would be many with us, and few would be the souls that would go to heaven from it.” Then he came to this place — Ard Tiprat was its name at that time. “Here, however, we shall stay — for many will be the souls going to heaven from it, and there shall be visits of God and of men always upon this place.”

⁷⁴ On the eighth of the kalends of February Ciarán settled at Cluain, on the tenth of the moon, on a Saturday. Eight were they who went with him: Ciarán, Aengus mac Nisse, Cáel Colum, Ma-Líoc, Lugna mac húi Moga-Laim, Colmán mac Nuin. Wondrously was that holding seized by Ciarán at Cluain with his eight, after coming from the waves of the water, as Noah son of Lamech seized the world with his eight after coming from the waves of the flood. Then it was that Ciarán set the first post in Cluain, and Diarmait mac Cerbaill along with him. Said Ciarán to Diarmait as he set the post: “Yield, O warrior — let my hand be over your hand, and you shall be over the men of Ireland in high kingship.” “I consent,” said Diarmait, “if you will give me a token for it.” “I will tell it,” said Ciarán. “Though few of you are to-day, you shall be king of Ireland at this hour to-morning.” That was true, for Tuathal Maelgarb, king of Ireland, was slain that night, and Diarmait took the kingship of Ireland the next day and offered a hundred churches to Ciarán. Therefore for that offering he said:

⁷⁵ “I will say truly and clearly, though few be the company attending them — you shall be king of Ireland, a comely worshipful king of Ireland, at this hour to-morning: the slaying of Tuathal, Tuathal the goodly, Maelgarb — a fameless name it was — hence is the saying that got… that was his deed of Mael Móre: without defeat and without… Uisnech was taken — it was no judgement after an assembly; distinguished Diarmait gave a hundred churches to God and to Ciarán.”

⁷⁶ Afterwards the post was set, and Ciarán said as it was set: “Here,” said he, “is the eye of Tren” — that is, a certain son who was in Dún Cluana Ichtair had resolved on disobedience to him; his one eye burst in his head at once, at Ciarán’s word.

⁷⁷ One day the brethren were in great hunger while they were reaping in Cluain. They sent one of their attendants to the clerk that water might be brought to them in the field — whereupon Ciarán said that if they completed their reaping to-day, great wealth of the world would be lost to the brethren who should come after them. “Certainly,” said the brethren, “we prefer the patience for which reward is given us of ourselves — and of which the brethren after us may have the benefit — to the satisfying of our hunger to-day.” A cask full of wine from the land of the Franks was brought to the place to Ciarán as the price of that patience; and fame of that cask dwelling here till later times. Now when evening came, Ciarán blessed a vessel full of water, and it was turned into choice wine, and it was dealt out to the monks — and no feast of that feast was more excellent. For the household of Colum Cille had come from Í to this city in long after-times: a feast was made for them, and it was proclaimed through the whole city that there had never been before nor would be after a feast as good. Then an elder who was in the house of the elders said: “I know a feast that was better. Better the feast that Ciarán made for his monks when they were in great hunger — how he turned the water into wine for them. Let that not be a tale without proof for you,” said the elder — “it was I myself who dealt that wine, and my thumb went over the key of the… into that stored wine; and smell now the odour of my thumb from its dipping in the wine at that time.” They came and all were sated with the odour of that finger. They said: “Better is this feast than every feast — the feast whose odour has lasted after so long a time on a thumb. A blessing,” said they, “on Ciarán, and a blessing on the Lord who has vouchsafed every good thing.”

⁷⁸ Críchid of Cluain, Ciarán’s scholar, went to Saigir and stayed in it for a long time, until the Demon tempted him to drown in the… the old fire that was by the monks in the kitchen. Ciarán of Saigir said that they would eat no food until the guests should come who would bring him fire. Now Críchid went from them for a little while outside the city, and they killed wolves and he spoiled not their bodies.

⁷⁹ When Ciarán mac an tSáir heard of the death of his servant-boy, he went to Ciarán of Saigir to request him. When he arrived, Ciarán of Saigir said: “The first thing needful to you is water over your feet — but we have no fire to heat water for you; but bring us your fire-faces(?), for it is for you God has appointed it.” Then Ciarán mac an tSáir stretched up his hands towards heaven and made an earnest prayer. After the prayer was finished, fire came from heaven, and it alighted on his bosom. He covered it in his bosom and brought it with him to the monastery. He cast the fire from him on the floor, and it destroyed not even the border of the casula that was about him. Then he quickened his servant-boy who had died before that, and he ate a meal with them. Then the two Ciaráns made their covenant. “The riches of the world,” said Ciarán mac an tSáir, “be in great Saigir.” “Wisdom and honour without defect be in Cluain mac Nóis,” said Ciarán of Saigir. And Ciarán’s soul was in that place but for seven months only, until he went to heaven on the ninth day of the month of mid-autumn.

⁸⁰ Now when Ciarán knew that the day of his decease was drawing near, he prophesied with great sorrow. He said that there would be a great persecution of his city by wicked men to the end of the world. “But what shall we do,” said the monks, “in the time of that trouble? Shall we remain beside your relics, or shall we go to another place?” “Depart,” said Ciarán, “and leave my relics as the bones of a stag are left to the sun — for it is better for you to dwell with me in heaven than to linger by my relics on earth.”

⁸¹ Now when the time of the decease of holy Ciarán drew near — in the little church, in his thirty-third year, on the ninth of the kalends of September, the day of the solar month, on a Saturday, the day of the week, the eighteenth of the moon — then he said: “Let me be carried into the little height,” said he. And when he had looked at the heaven and the air on high above his head, he said: “Terrible is this way upward.” “Not terrible at all,” said the monks. “I know not indeed,” said he, “but nothing of God’s command is disagreeable to me — yet even David son of Jesse and Paul the apostle dreaded this journey.” Then the stone pillow was taken from under his cheek. “No,” said he — “put it under me again. Qui enim perseveraverit usque in finem (Mt. 10:22).” Then angels filled the space between heaven and earth in a path facing his soul. Then the little church was brought, and he raised up his hands and blessed his people, and said to the brethren that the church should be closed upon him until Coemgen should come from Glenn dá Lacha. When Coemgen had come after three days, the clerks were not wholly peaceful at once, for they were in grief and in great sorrow after their clerk. Coemgen said to them: “Let not gloominess,” said he, “be always upon you.” Then the elders feared, and they did the will of Coemgen, and opened the little church before them. The spirit of Ciarán went at once to heaven, and came back again into his body to converse with Coemgen, and welcomed him; and they were there from one hour to another conversing and making their union. Then Ciarán blessed Coemgen.

⁸² Coemgen also blessed water and made communion for Ciarán; and then Ciarán gave his bell to Coemgen as a token of their union — in the scriple of his companionship. That is Coemgen’s Bobán to-day.

⁸³ Now the saints of Ireland were envious of Ciarán for his excellence, so that they went into the protection of the King of heaven that his life might be shortened. So great was the envy they took against him that even his own true companion, Colum Cille, said: “A blessing on God,” said he, “who has taken the holy Ciarán — for if he had lived till he were an elder, there would not be a place for a chariot’s track in Ireland that would not be his.”

⁸⁴ Here then is Ciarán — with the eight whom he mentioned, with the many thousands of saints besides. Here are the relics of Paul and Peter; Benian and Cumlach left them in the round sepulchre here. Here are the relics of the blind boy, the disciple of Peca. Here too is the shrine of the face, that is of Peca — it is he who saw a certain devout man carried by angels to the burial of Ciarán. Three wonders in it that night — the guest-house without fire, without guests, without prayers, for Peca was sufficient for fire and for guests and for prayers.

⁸⁵ There is no complete reckoning of all that God did of miracles and marvels for the holy Ciarán, for they are more than can be numbered and told. For none has been born since Christ’s coming in the flesh who was greater in alms and mercy, greater in toil and fasting and prayer, greater in humility and kind zeal, greater in gentleness and modesty, greater in diligence and watchfulness about God’s Church, greater in daily labour and nightly vigil. It is he who never put foul or drunken(?) things into his body since he embraced devotion. It is he who used to drink a draught of water only until its third part was water. It is he who ate not bread until a third of it was sand. It is he who slept not until his side touched the bare earth. It is a stone that was always under his head for a pillow. It is against his skin that flax or wool never touched.

⁸⁶ A man of choice, acceptable offerings to the Lord, like Abel son of Adam. A man of earnest prayers to God, like Enoch son of Jared. A steersman skilful in governing the ark of the Church between the waves of the world, like Noah son of Lamech. A true pilgrim of strong faith and belief, like Abraham son of Terah. A thankful, gentle, dutiful-hearted man, like Moses son of Amram. A man persevering in patience under suffering and tribulation, like Job the suffering. A sweet-tuneful, suppliant psalmist to God, like David son of Jesse. A listener to true wisdom and true knowledge, like Solomon son of David. A rock unshaken upon which the Church is founded, like Peter the apostle. A universal chief preacher and a choice vessel for proclaiming truth, like Paul the apostle. A man full of the grace of the Holy Spirit and of virginity, like John the bosom-disciple. A man full of likenesses in many things to Jesus Christ, the head of all. For this man made wine of the water for his household and his guests in this city, as Jesus made choice wine of the water at the feast of Cana of Galilee. A wright’s son too this man is called, as a wright’s son is said of Christ in the Gospel — “hic est filius fabri” (Mt. 13:55), that is, of Joseph. Thirty-three years was the age of this man, as thirty-three years was the age of Christ. There was a resurrection also to this man after three days on earth in his tomb at Cluain — to converse with and to comfort Coemgen, as there was a resurrection to Christ after three days out of the grave in Jerusalem to comfort and to strengthen His mother and His disciples.

⁸⁷ So for those good things and for the many other good things his soul is with the household of heaven. His graves and his relics are here in honour and reverence, with miracles and wonders every day. And though great be his honour anywhere in this manner, greater will be his honour in the union of the saints — his body and soul undefiled by… — in the great assembly of doom, when the holy Ciarán shall be judge over the fruit of his teaching together with Jesus Christ for whom he served. He shall be moreover in that great assembly, in the union of the noble father and prophet, in the union of the apostles and disciples of the Saviour Jesus Christ, in the union of the nine grades of angels who were not transgressed, in the union of the divinity and humanity of the Son of God — in that union which is noblest of every union, in the union of the Holy Trinity, Father and Son and Holy Spirit.

⁸⁸ I beseech the mercy of the noble almighty God through the intercession of holy Ciarán that we may reach that union. May we possess it in saecula saeculorum!

⁸⁹ [The text ends.]