¹ Here begins the Life of Saint Ciarán, abbot and confessor.

² Saint Abbot Ciarán was born from the people of the Latronenses, who are in the region of Meath, that is, in the middle of Ireland. His father was called Beonadus, a maker of carts, and he was wealthy. He took a wife named Derercha, by whom he fathered five sons and three daughters. Of these, four were priests and one was a deacon, ordained in this order and with these names: the first Lucennus, the second Donanus, the third this Saint Ciarán the abbot, the fourth Odranus, and the fifth Cronanus, who was a deacon. The three daughters were also called Lugbeg, Raichbe, and Pata. Lugbeg and Raichbe were holy virgins, but Pata was first married and afterward a holy widow. Now when Beonadus the craftsman was heavily oppressed by the taxes of Ainmerech, king of Tara, he fled the burden of tribute and departed from his own region, that is, from the borders of Meath, into the regions of Connacht. He lived there in the Plain of Ai with King Crimthann, and there he begot Saint Ciarán, whose life this is. His birth was foretold by the magician of the aforesaid king, who said before all: “The son who is in the womb of the wife of Beóed the craftsman will be honoured before God and before men; and just as the sun shines in the heavens, so he will shine throughout Ireland by his holiness.” Afterward Saint Ciarán was born in the province of the Connachtmen, namely in the Plain of Ai, in the fort which is called Ráth Crimthainn, and he was baptized by a certain holy deacon, who in Irish was called “Diarmaid,” but afterward was named Justus. For it was fitting that the Just One should be baptized by Justus. And Saint Ciarán was brought up among his parents in the place already mentioned, and the grace of God was evident in him in all things.

³ On a certain day, the finest horse of Aengus, son of Crimthann, the aforesaid king, suddenly died, and he was greatly distressed at the death of his excellent horse. And when he had fallen asleep in his sorrow, a radiant man appeared to him in a dream, saying to him: “Do not grieve over your horse, for there is among you a little boy, Saint Ciarán, son of the craftsman Beóed, who by the grace of God is able to raise your horse. Let him pour water into the horse’s mouth and upon its face while praying, and immediately it will rise up restored. And you shall offer the boy a gift for your horse that has been raised.” When Aengus, the king’s son, awoke from sleep, he told these words to his friends. And he himself came to Saint Ciarán and led him to the place where the horse lay dead. And when the devout boy Ciarán poured water into the mouth and onto the face of the horse, it immediately rose from death and stood strong before all; and the king’s son offered to Saint Ciarán forever that field, which was large and excellent.

⁴ On another day the mother of Saint Ciarán reproached him, saying: “Other sensible boys bring honey every day from the fields and from places rich in honey to their parents. But this our son, simple and gentle as he is, brings us no honey at all.” Hearing the voice of his mother reproaching him, the holy boy Ciarán went to a nearby spring and filled a vessel there with water; and when he blessed it, the water became excellent honey, and he gave it to his mother. His parents, amazed at the miracle, sent this honey to Justus the deacon, his baptizer, so that he himself might see the miracle wrought by God through the boy whom he had baptized. When he heard and saw this, he gave thanks to Christ and prayed for the boy.

⁵ The holy boy Ciarán, while guarding his parents’ cattle, would recite psalms under the instruction of Saint Diarmait; but this teaching was given in a wonderfully remarkable way. For Saint Ciarán was tending the cattle in the southern part of the Plain of Ai, while Saint Diarmait lived in the northern part of the same plain, and a great plain lay between them; and thus, from afar, they would greet one another in their leisure moments with spoken words across the wide spaces of the plain, and the elder taught the boy from his cell across the field, while the boy, sitting on a stone in the field, read aloud. That stone is revered to this day, with the cross of Christ set upon it there, and it is called by the name of Ciarán.

⁶ Thus the saints, by divine prompting, heard one another, while others did not hear them.

⁷ On a certain day, while Saint Ciarán was tending the cattle, a cow gave birth to a calf before him. At that moment the devout boy saw a wretched, thin, and hungry wolf coming toward him, and the servant of God said to it: “Go, poor creature, and eat that calf.” And it devoured it. When the holy shepherd returned home with his cattle, that cow, searching for her calf, cried out loudly. Seeing this, Derercha, the mother of Saint Ciarán, said to him: “O Ciarán, where is the calf of this cow? Give it back, even if from the sea or from the earth; for you have lost it, and the heart of its mother is in great distress.” Hearing these words, Saint Ciarán returned to the place where the calf had been devoured, gathered its bones into his cloak, and laid them before the weeping cow. And immediately, by divine mercy on account of the holiness of the boy, the calf rose up before all, stood sound upon its feet, and played with its mother. Then a cry of praise to God arose from those present, blessing the boy.

⁸ As the devout boy Ciarán was going out toward a nearby settlement, cruel and wicked laymen set a most ferocious dog upon him, that it might devour him. When Saint Ciarán saw the savage dog rushing toward him, he seized upon a verse of the psalmist, saying: “O Lord, do not hand over to beasts the soul that confesses to you”. As the dog ran fiercely, by divine will its head became caught in the halter of a calf and it struck its head, bound by the halter, against the wooden post from which it was hanging, until it broke its head. When they saw this, those men were greatly afraid.

⁹ On another day, certain robbers coming from a foreign land found Saint Ciarán alone near his cattle, reading; and they planned to kill him and steal his cattle. As they approached him with this intent, they were struck with blindness and could move neither hand nor foot until they did penance, begging him to restore their sight. Then the devout shepherd, seeing that they had turned away from their wickedness, prayed for them, and immediately they were freed and restored to their sight; and returning home they gave thanks and told many others what had happened.

¹⁰ On a certain day a poor man came to Saint Ciarán, asking him for a cow. Then Saint Ciarán asked his mother that a cow be given to the poor man, but his mother would not listen to him. Seeing this, Saint Ciarán led the poor man outside with the cattle, and there he gave him a good cow with a calf. But the calf belonged between two cows, and both were attached to it. Knowing, as a devout boy, that the cow would be of little use without the calf, he gave both cows with their calf to the poor man. In return for these, on the following day four cows were offered by others as alms to Saint Ciarán; he gave these to his mother, who had reproached him, and then he reasonably admonished her, and from that time on she held him in awe.

¹¹ On another day Saint Ciarán gave the knife of his uncle Beóan to a needy man; and in the same way, on the following day he received four knives in return. For four smiths came from the settlement called Cluain Cruim, bringing four knives, which they handed over to Saint Ciarán as alms; and the holy boy gave these back to them in exchange for his own knife.

¹² On another day Saint Ciarán gave his uncle’s ox to a man who asked for it. His uncle said to him, “Son, how will I be able to plow today, since you have given my ox to someone else?” The holy boy replied, “Put your horse today with the oxen in the plow, and tomorrow you will have enough oxen.” At once the horse was placed under the yoke with the oxen, in the place of the ox that had been given away, and it became tractable; all that day it plowed fittingly under the yoke, just like an ox. On the next day, however, four oxen were offered as alms to Saint Ciarán, and he handed them over to his uncle in place of his ox. For when people heard of and saw the great signs performed through Saint Ciarán, they asked for his prayers and offered him gifts.

¹³ On a certain day the father of Saint Ciarán brought back a certain royal vessel from the house of King Furbith, so that he might have it for a few days; and the king was very fond of that vessel. But Saint Ciarán, when the poor asked for alms in the name of Christ, and having nothing else, gave them that vessel belonging to the king. When the king heard this, he was exceedingly angry and ordered that Saint Ciarán be held captive in his service. For this reason the blessed Ciarán was led into captivity and became a servant in the house of King Furbith; and a harsh task was laid upon him, namely that he should turn the mill every day to make flour. But wondrously, while Saint Ciarán sat reading beside the mill, the mill ran swiftly by itself, without any human hand, and ground flour before everyone. For the angels of God were grinding for Saint Ciarán, though people did not see them. Not long afterward, a certain man from the region of Munster, that is, from the people called the Déisi, named Iernán, moved by divine prompting, came with two excellent vessels similar to that vessel of the king—of the same kind and the same usefulness—and offered them as alms to Saint Ciarán. When the king heard of the miracle of the mill, he accepted those two vessels and granted Saint Ciarán his freedom; for previously, in his anger, he had refused to accept any compensation for him. Thus Saint Ciarán was freed from the king’s servitude. And Saint Ciarán blessed that man and his people, through whom he himself found his freedom.

¹⁴ One day, when Saint Ciarán was in a place called Cluain Inn Sythe, he saw a boat resting on the river and a grain-drying frame on the riverbank. In it there was a wheel woven of rods, full of ears of grain, with a fire lit beneath it so that they might be dried for threshing, according to the custom of western lands, that is, Britain and Ireland. And Saint Ciarán said prophetically and quietly to his companions, “That boat which is now on the water will be burned today, and the grain which is now on the land will be submerged.” When they contradicted him and marveled, he said to them, “Wait a little, and you will see with your own eyes.” And immediately that small boat was lifted from the water onto dry land and placed in a shed, so that its cracks and breaks might be repaired there. When the fire was lit, that shed was burned, and the boat in the midst of it was likewise burned. But the grain, when strong men dug it out of the ground, they threw it from the bank into the river, just as the servant of the Lord had foretold. Hearing and seeing such a prophecy about contrary things, they gave glory to Christ, who gives such a gift to his servants.

¹⁵ On another day, when Saint Ciarán had returned from the fields to his home, some men came to meet him. He said to them, “Where have you just come from?” They said, “We have just come from the house of Beóed, the craftsman.” He said to them, “Did you find fitting joy there for Christ’s sake?” They said, “No. We found a harsh woman there, who did not even give us a drink for hospitality.” When Saint Ciarán heard this, he blessed them and quickly went to his home; and entering the house, he found no one there, for his household were occupied outside with their work. Then blessed Ciarán, moved by zeal for God, destroyed all the food he found in his parents’ house: he poured the milk out onto the ground, mixed the butter with sheep dung, and threw the bread to the dogs, so that it would benefit no one. For he showed that it was right that what had not been given to guests for the sake of Christ should be given over to destruction by human hands, lest such food be eaten. After a short time his mother came, and seeing her house thus overturned, she wished to cry out; for she greatly wondered what had happened to her home. But when Saint Ciarán explained the reason, she was calmed and promised amendment; and many of those who heard were made more charitable.

¹⁶ On another day, when Saint Ciarán was sitting in a cart with his father, the axle of the cart broke into two pieces in the middle of the field, and the father of the saint and his companions were distressed. Then Saint Ciarán blessed the axle, and it was immediately restored just as it had been before; afterward they traveled successfully in the cart for the rest of the day.

¹⁷ After this, Saint Ciarán wished to leave his parents and go out to the school of Saint Finnian, who was a wise man, outstanding in all holiness, so that there, together with the other holy men of Ireland who were there, he might read the Scriptures. He asked his parents that a cow be led with him to the school, to provide milk for his sustenance; but his mother refused this, saying, “Others who are in that school do not have cows.” Then, having received the permission and blessing of his parents (though it displeased his mother, for she wished to keep him always with her), Saint Ciarán set out on his way. Coming to his parents’ herd, he blessed one cow and commanded her, in the name of the Lord, to follow him. Immediately the cow followed him with her newly born calf, and wherever he went, the cow walked after him, until they came to the settlement of Cluain Iraird, which lies on the border of the Leinster people and the Uí Néill, though the settlement itself is situated in the land of the Uí Néill. When Saint Ciarán arrived there, he marked out a boundary in the pasture between the cow and her calf with his staff; and in no way did they ever dare to cross the mark of the holy staff, nor did they cross it. Yet the cow would lick her calf across the mark of the staff, and at suitable hours they would come to his dwelling with their milk untouched. That cow was dark-colored and was called Odhar Chiaráin, whose fame endures forever in Ireland; for at that time she had an extraordinarily great abundance of milk, and her milk was divided daily among the school and sufficed for many. Her hide, moreover, remains to this day held in honour in the settlement of Saint Ciarán, for by the grace of God miracles are worked through it. And this grace she has above all others, as the ancient saints—that is, the disciples of Saint Ciarán—have handed down to us: that it has been divinely revealed that every person who dies upon it will possess eternal life with Christ.

¹⁸ In the school of the most holy teacher Finnian there were many saints of Ireland: that is, two Saints named Ciarán, two Saints named Brendan, and Columba, and many others. Each of them, on his appointed day, ground the mill with his own hands; but the angels of God ground the mill for Saint Ciarán, just as they had done for him during his captivity.

¹⁹ The daughter of the king of Tara was brought to Saint Finnian, so that she might read the Psalms and other Scriptures with the saint of God and promise a vow of virginity. When she freely promised to keep her virginity for Christ, Father Finnian said to Saint Ciarán, “Son, let this virgin, the handmaid of Christ and daughter of an earthly king, read with you for the time being, until a cell for virgins is built for her.” Saint Ciarán obediently accepted this task, and the virgin read Psalms and other lessons with him. When Saint Finnian later placed that virgin in a cell with the other holy virgins, the fathers asked Saint Ciarán about her conduct and modesty. Ciarán said to them, “Truly, I know nothing of her conduct or of her body; for God knows that I never saw her face, nor anything of her except the lower part of her garments when she came from her parents; nor did I ever speak with her except only about her lesson.” For she ate and slept in the house of a certain holy widow. The virgin likewise gave testimony concerning Saint Ciarán. By these and other testimonies many were already strengthened in true religion.

²⁰ Saint Ciarán was reading the Gospel of Matthew with the holy father Finnian and the others; and when he came to the middle of the book, where it says, “All things whatsoever you would have others do to you, do so to them”, Saint Ciarán said to Saint Finnian, “Father, this half of the book that I have read is enough for me, so that I may fulfil it in practice; indeed, this single saying alone is sufficient for me to teach.” Then one of the school said to everyone, “From this hour it is fitting that Ciarán be called Leath Mathae (that is, ‘Half of Matthew’).” But the venerable Finnian said, “No; rather, it is fitting that he be called Leath nÉrenn (that is, ‘Half of Ireland’), for his parish will be extended through half of Ireland.” And this prophecy stirred up much envy against Saint Ciarán.

²¹ On another day, when Saint Ciarán was alone in his cell, he came to the table to take food, and when he wished, after the blessing, to taste it, he said, “Give the blessing.” Seeing that no one replied, he said, “The Lord,” and rose from the table, eating nothing. He did the same the next day, again rising from the table without taking food. On the third day, having fasted for three days, he again came to the table and said, “Give the blessing”; and behold, a voice from heaven said to him, “May the Lord bless you, weary Ciarán; your request has now become burdensome. For it is sufficient for a person, when he is alone, to bless his food in the name of the Most High God and then partake of it.” And so Saint Ciarán, giving thanks, ate bread on the third day.

²² At a certain time Saint Ciarán went to the king of Tara, who was called Tuathal Máelgarb, because he was harsh, in order to free a certain woman who was unjustly detained in servitude by that king. But the king did not release the woman to him. Then Saint Ciarán blessed her and commanded her to go with him to her own people. Immediately she rose up from the king’s house, passed through the crowds of people, and none of them saw her until she reached her friends safely. Because of this, the king and the others greatly marveled at the wonders of God.

²³ On another occasion Saint Ciarán entered the territory of a certain chieftain of the Connacht people, in order in a similar way to ask for the release of a certain woman who was not rightly serving him. While Saint Ciarán was sitting there, behold, three men came to him with three gifts as alms: one offered a cow, another a cloak, and the third a frying pan. Saint Ciarán immediately gave these three gifts to the poor who were asking him, in the presence of the chieftain. In that same hour, in return for these gifts, he received others of greater value before the chieftain: namely, for the frying pan he received a cauldron of three measures; for one cloak, twelve cloaks; and for one cow, twelve cows were offered to him by others. Saint Ciarán sent these on to other holy men living nearby. Seeing all this, that chieftain generously granted the woman to Saint Ciarán as a free person, and she, rejoicing and giving thanks, returned to her own home.

²⁴ A king named Tuathal was approached by Saint Ciarán, who wished to intercede for the release of a certain female servant. When he devoutly begged the king on her behalf, and the king scorned the prayers of the servant of God as though they were madness, Saint Ciarán devised a new way to obtain her freedom: he resolved to serve the king himself in her place. When he came to the house in which the girl was grinding grain, the doors, though already shut, opened to him. Entering, he presented himself to her as another man, Paulinus the bishop. Without delay the king set the woman free and, moreover, gave his own garment to the servant of God. Saint Ciarán accepted it and immediately distributed it to the poor.

²⁵ After these things Saint Ciarán went to an island called Aran, which lies in the ocean to the west, some distance beyond Ireland. That island has always been inhabited from Ireland, and on it there dwells a multitude of holy men; indeed, innumerable saints, known to no one except almighty God alone, rest there. For many days Saint Ciarán lived there in strict service under the most holy abbot Enda, and great miracles were shown there through him, and works of holiness are still recounted on that island. While Saint Ciarán was there, he saw a marvelous vision; Saint Enda likewise saw a similar vision: namely, a great and fruitful tree on the bank of the river Shannon in the middle of Ireland, whose shadow covered Ireland on every side, and whose branches extended beyond Ireland into the sea. On the next day Saint Ciarán told this vision to Saint Enda, and the holy father Enda immediately interpreted it, saying, “That fruitful tree which you saw—and which I also saw—is you yourself, my son, who will be great before God and before men. Your honour will fill Ireland, and the shadow of the help of your mercy and grace will protect it from demons, plagues, and dangers, and your fruit will benefit very many far and wide. Therefore, by the command of God, go without delay to the place where your resurrection will be, which will be shown to you by God, so that you may benefit many there.” There Saint Ciarán was ordained a priest; and afterward, by the command of Saint Enda, and with his prayer and blessing and those of all the saints who were on that island of Aran, Saint Ciarán returned to Ireland.

²⁶ On a certain day, as Saint Ciarán was traveling on his way, a poor man met him on the road and asked something of him as alms, and Saint Ciarán gave him his chasuble; afterward he himself went on wearing only a cloak. He then turned aside on his journey to the island of Scattery, which lies at the mouth of the ocean toward the west, that is, in the estuary of the Shannon, situated between the regions of Kerry and Corcu Baiscinn. On that island there was the most holy old man Senán, who was the first to dwell there. For from ancient times a poisonous and very harmful beast had possessed that island alone, but Saint Senán, by the power of God, drove it far away from there into a certain lake. And to this day there is a renowned and holy settlement on that island in honour of Saint Senán. When Saint Ciarán was drawing near to the island of Scattery, Saint Senán foresaw by the Spirit his coming and his lack of clothing, and sent a boat to carry him to the island. Taking the chasuble secretly into his own hands, he went out to meet him at the harbor of the island. When the most blessed Senán saw Saint Ciarán coming to him wearing only a cloak, he reproved him playfully, saying, “Is it not shameful that a priest walks in a single cloak without a chasuble?” Saint Ciarán, smiling, replied, “This nakedness of mine will soon receive comfort, for my chasuble is under the garment of my elder, Senán.” Saint Ciarán stayed for some days with Saint Senán, devoting themselves to the divine mysteries, and they established fellowship and brotherhood between themselves. Afterward Saint Ciarán set out on his way with a kiss of peace.

²⁷ When the blessed Ciarán had come from Saint Senán, he went out to his brothers Luchenn and Odrán, who were living in a cell called Íseal, that is, “the low place,” and he lived with them for a time. His brothers appointed Saint Ciarán as their almoner and as the steward for guests. Luchenn, who was older in age, was the abbot of that place, and Odrán was the prior. Once, while Saint Ciarán was reading outdoors in a field facing the sun, he suddenly saw weary guests entering the guesthouse. He quickly rose and forgot his book, leaving it open outside until the next day. After he settled the guests in the house, washed their feet, and carefully served them, night fell. That night a great rain fell; but by God’s prompting the open book was found dry and unspoiled, for not a single drop of rain had touched it, although all the ground around it was wet. Because of this, Saint Ciarán and his brothers gave praise to Christ.

²⁸ Near that place of Saint Ciarán there was a certain island in a lake, on which a local lord lived with his retainers in a fortified dwelling; and their shouting and commotion interfered with the prayers of the saints in their cell. When Saint Ciarán saw this, he went out to the edge of the lake and prayed there to the Lord that he might grant them some relief from that island. On the following night, by divine power, that island with its lake was moved farther away to another place, where the noise of the people of that island did not reach the saints of God. To this day the place of the lake where it had previously been is still visible, partly sandy and partly wet, as a sign of this miracle.

²⁹ One day, when Saint Ciarán was working outside in the field, a poor man came to him asking that alms be given to him. At that very hour a cart with two horses was offered to Saint Ciarán by a certain nobleman, namely a son of Crimthann; and Saint Ciarán gave those horses with the cart to the poor man. Then, since the brothers of Saint Ciarán could no longer endure the greatness of his charity—for he distributed their resources to the poor every day—they said to him, “Brother, depart from us; we are no longer able to remain with you in one place and both serve God with our brothers and provide for them, because of the excess of your generosity.” Saint Ciarán replied to them, “If I were to remain in this place, it would no longer be Íseal (that is, ‘low’); it would no longer be small, but high—that is, great and honoured.” After saying this, Saint Ciarán blessed his brothers, and taking his books and his few possessions on his shoulders, he departed from there. When he had gone a short distance from the place, a stag met him on the road, waiting very gently. Saint Ciarán placed his belongings upon it; and wherever the stag went, the blessed Ciarán followed it. When the stag came to the lake of Rí, which lies in eastern Connacht, it stopped opposite the island of Inis Aingin, which is in that lake. Then Saint Ciarán understood that the Lord had called him to that island; and dismissing the stag with a blessing, he entered the island and lived there. When the fame of his holiness was heard, good people gathered to him from far and wide, and Saint Ciarán made them his monks. Many alms of various kinds were given by the faithful to Saint Ciarán and those with him. But a certain priest named Daniel, to whom the island of Inis Aingin belonged, stirred up by the envy of the devil, began forcefully to expel Saint Ciarán and his companions from that island. Saint Ciarán, however, wishing to do good to his persecutor, sent him through faithful messengers a royal gift that had been given to him as alms, namely a finely ornamented golden brooch. When the priest saw it, he at first refused to accept it; but afterward, persuaded by faithful men, he accepted it gladly. Then that priest Daniel, filled with the grace of God, came and offered the island of Inis Aingin, which was in his possession, to God and to Saint Ciarán forever.

³⁰ On another day, when Saint Ciarán was on that island of Inis Aingin, hearing the voice of a man wishing to enter the island at the harbor, he said to his brothers, “Go, my brothers, and bring here to me the material for your abbot after me.” The brothers, quickly setting out by boat, found a young layman at the harbor; despising him, they left him there, and on returning they said to Saint Ciarán, “We found no one there except a lay youth who has wandered as a fugitive in the woods; he is crying out at the harbor, but his rusticity is far removed from the abbatial office.” Saint Ciarán said to them, “Sail back without delay and bring him here at once; for, as the Lord has revealed to me, I recognized from his voice that he will be your abbot after me.” When the brothers heard this, they immediately brought him. Saint Ciarán tonsured him and diligently taught him, and he was filled with the grace of God from day to day; and after the most blessed Ciarán he became a holy abbot. For he is the blessed Áengus, son of Luígsech.

³¹ The Gospel book of Saint Ciarán, which a certain brother was carrying in a boat, accidentally fell into the lake, and for a long time it remained under the water and was not found. But one day in the summer season the cows entered the lake to cool themselves from the intense heat. When the cows came back out of the lake, the leather satchel in which the Gospel had been placed, made of hide, clung around the foot of a cow; and so the cow dragged the satchel on her foot with her back onto the land. The book of the Gospel was found inside the leather satchel, which had decayed, yet the book itself was dry and unspoiled and white, without any moisture, as if it had been kept in a library. Because of this Saint Ciarán rejoiced with his companions.

³² After this, a certain man from Mumonia, that is, from the people of Corco Bascind, named Donnan, came to Saint Ciarán, who was living on the island of Inis Angin. One day Saint Ciarán said to him, “What do you seek, father, in these lands?” Saint Donnan replied, “I seek, lord, a place to dwell where I may serve Christ in pilgrimage.” Saint Ciarán said to him, “Remain, father, in this place; for I myself am going to another place, since I know that my resurrection will not be here.” Then Saint Ciarán granted the island of Inis Angin, together with its furnishings, to Saint Donnan, and he came to a place called Ard Mantain, near the river Shannon. But unwilling to live in that place, he said, “I do not wish to live in this place, for there will be great abundance of this world here, and worldly pleasure; and it will be difficult for the souls of my disciples to go to heaven if I live here, for this place belongs to secular people.” Afterward Saint Ciarán left that place and came to a place that was once called Tiprait, but is now called Clonmacnoise. When he came to that place, he said, “Here I shall live, for many souls will go forth from this place to the kingdom of God, and here my resurrection will be.” Then the most blessed Ciarán lived there with his companions and began to found a great monastery, and many people came to him from all sides, and his parish was greatly extended all around; and the name of Saint Ciarán was widely celebrated throughout all Ireland. A bright and holy city grew up in that place in honour of Saint Ciarán, whose name is Clonmacnoise, which is in the western part of the territory of the descendants of Niall, on the eastern bank of the river Shannon, opposite the province of Connacht; in it both kings and princes of the descendants of Niall and of the Connachta are buried near Saint Ciarán.

³³ For the river Shannon, which is very rich in all kinds of fish, divides the territory of the descendants of Niall, that is, Meath, from the province of Connacht. When Saint Ciarán wished to place a beam with his own hands in the first building of that city, a certain magician said to him, “This hour is not good for beginning, for the sign of this hour is unfavourable to the start of buildings.” Then Saint Ciarán himself set the beam in the corner of the house, saying, “Against your sign I fix this beam in the ground, magician, for I do not care for the art of magicians; but in the name of my Lord, Jesus Christ, I do all my works.” Because of this, that magician, together with his companions, marveled at the faith of Saint Ciarán in his God and praised him.

³⁴ While Saint Ciarán was in his city of Clonmacnoise, an excellent chasuble was offered to him by a certain man as alms. Saint Ciarán wished to send it to the aforementioned holy elder, Saint Senán, who was living on Inis Cathaig; but he could not at once find anyone to carry it, because the journey was long, rough, and difficult, through the borders of various regions, from the city of Saint Ciarán, Clonmacnoise, which lies in the middle of Ireland, to the island of Inis Cathaig, situated at the mouth of the ocean. Then, at Saint Ciarán’s command, the chasuble was placed upon the river Shannon and set adrift alone with the current, and it traveled dry upon the waters all the way to Inis Cathaig; and no one saw it while it made its way there. Now the river Shannon flows from the city of Clonmacnoise into the estuary of Limerick, in which Inis Cathaig is located. And Saint Senán, filled with the spirit of prophecy, said to his brothers, “Go to the seashore, and lead to us with honour the guest sitting there, the gift of the man of God.” The brothers, asking nothing further, went to the sea and found there the chasuble, dry and untouched; for it had not been harmed by the waters. Taking it, the holy old man Senán gave thanks to God; and that chasuble was kept with reverence by Saint Senán, like a sacred diadem.

³⁵ A certain boy from the household of Saint Ciarán, who was called Críthir of Clonmacnoise, because he was clever but also harmful and unruly, fled from Saint Ciarán to the city of Saighir, in the northern region of Munster, that is, in the land of Éile, to another Ciarán, a most holy old man and bishop. When the boy stayed with the holy bishop for several days, according to his wicked habit he took the drink of the brothers and poured it upon the fire, thereby extinguishing the consecrated fire. The holy old man Ciarán did not allow any fire in his monastery except the consecrated fire, which was to burn without extinction from Easter to Easter. When the holy old man Ciarán heard what the boy Críthir had done, he was greatly displeased and said, “Let him be corrected by God for this in this world.” When the boy heard that the holy old man was angry with him, he left the city of Saighir; and when he had gone a short distance from the city, wolves met him and killed him, but they did not touch his body after he was dead, according to the likeness of that prophet who was killed by a lion. When the younger Saint Ciarán heard that his boy had been with the elder Ciarán, he went to him; and on that very day when these things happened, he came to the city of Saighir and was received with due honour by the holy old man, Bishop Ciarán. And the younger Saint Ciarán, the abbot, said to Saint Ciarán the bishop, “Give me back, holy father, my disciple alive, who was killed while with you.” The holy old man Ciarán replied, “First your feet must be washed, but we have no fire in the monastery to warm the water for you; and you know that your disciple extinguished the consecrated fire. Therefore, ask God for consecrated fire for us.” Then the younger Saint Ciarán, the abbot, the son of a craftsman, stretched out his hands in prayer to God; and at once fire came down from heaven into his bosom, and from it a hearth was lit in the monastery. The holy old man, Bishop Ciarán, then prayed to God for the young man who had been killed by the wolves, and immediately he rose up whole from his cruel death, with the scars of the wolves’ bites visible on him. And after blessing everyone, he took food and drink with the saints and lived for many days afterward. Then the two Saints Ciarán established fellowship and brotherhood between their successors in heaven and on earth, and they said that if anyone wished to name or ask anything of one of them, he should name and ask both, for they would hear. After this the younger Saint Ciarán, the abbot, said to the elder Bishop Ciarán, “In your place, father, honuor and abundance of riches will remain.” To him the holy old man, Bishop Ciarán, replied, “In your place also, dearest son, the strength of religion and wisdom will endure until the end of the world.” When these things had been said, and the kiss of peace and the blessing of the most holy old man, Bishop Ciarán, had been received, the younger Saint Ciarán returned with his companions and with the aforementioned young man Críthir to his own city of Clonmacnoise.

³⁶ One day, when the brothers of Saint Ciarán were working in the harvest and, under the burning sun, were enduring thirst, they sent for cold water to be brought to them. Saint Ciarán replied to them through a messenger: “Choose for yourselves, my brothers, whether you will drink to quench your thirst out of necessity, or whether you will endure thirst until evening, so that through your labor today in thirst and sweat there may be abundance for the brothers who will come after you in this place; and you yourselves will not be without reward from God in heaven.” The brothers replied: “We choose that there may be sufficiency for those who come after us, and that we ourselves may receive the reward of patience and thirst in heaven.” And so the brothers, joyful even in their thirst, worked that day under the blazing sun.

³⁷ When evening came and the brothers returned home, Saint Ciarán wished to please them and to refresh them in charity. Trusting in the Lord, he blessed a large vessel filled with water, and immediately, under his hands, very excellent wine appeared in the vessel. Setting food before them, he instructed the brothers to refresh their bodies well but with moderation, giving thanks to Christ for his gifts. This was the last supper that Saint Ciarán prepared for his brothers during his lifetime, with himself serving them, for he lived only a few days afterward; and that supper was very gracious and surpassed all the meals that had ever been made in the monastery of Saint Ciarán, as is shown by what follows.

³⁸ After a long time, when Saint Columba came to Ireland with his community from the island of Iona, a great supper was prepared for them in the monastery of Saint Ciarán, in his city of Clonmacnoise. When they arrived at the monastery of Saint Ciarán, they were received with great joy and care; they were most generously refreshed at that meal, and the fame of that hospitality was widely spread throughout the whole city and the surrounding region. And when some people, out of ignorance, were speaking in the dwelling of the holy elders who had a separate cell in the monastery of Saint Ciarán, saying that such a meal had never been made in that place, nor ever would be, one man who had been a boy there while Saint Ciarán was still alive replied: “You do not know what you are marveling at. For the supper which Saint Ciarán, our patron, made for his brothers who were thirsty from the harvest, when water was changed into wine, was far better than this supper. So that you may know this and believe that it is true, come and smell my finger with which I drew that wine for the brothers. For my thumb touched the liquid over the rim of the cup from which the wine was drawn; and behold, its fragrance still remains in it.” Then all who came near him were filled with the sweet and pleasant fragrance of that holy old man, and they cried out, saying: “Truly, that supper was far better, whose fragrance remains most sweet on the finger for such a long time.” And they blessed Saint Ciarán, giving praise to God.

³⁹ And in those days, when the brothers of Saint Ciarán were reaping their fields, merchants came to Saint Ciarán with wine from Gaul and filled a great vessel, the common one of the brothers, with that wine, which Saint Ciarán gave to his brothers with his blessing.

⁴⁰ Our most holy patron Ciarán lived for only one year in his city of Clonmacnoise. When he knew that the day of his death was drawing near, he prophesied with tears about the evils of those who would come after him in his place, and he said that their life would be short. Then the brothers said to him, “What then shall we do, father, in the time of those evils? Shall we remain here beside your relics, or shall we go to other places?” To them Saint Ciarán said, “Hasten to other peaceful places, and leave my relics like the dry bones of a deer on a mountain; for it is better for you to be with my spirit in heaven than to be beside my bones on earth amid scandal.” Saint Ciarán greatly disciplined his body, and we record his example. He always kept a stone pillow under his head, which remains to this day in the monastery of Saint Ciarán and is venerated by all. When he fell ill, he did not wish that stone to be taken away from him, but ordered it to be placed upon his shoulders, so that he might have labor until death as a cause of eternal reward in heaven.

⁴¹ When the hour of his departure was already drawing near, he ordered himself to be carried outside the house, and gazing up to heaven he said, “This is a steep path, and it is necessary.” The brothers said to him, “We know that nothing is difficult for you, father, but we miserable ones must greatly fear this hour.” Then, brought back into the house, he raised his hand and blessed his people and his clergy; and having received the sacrifice of the Lord, on the fifth day before the Ides of September, he gave up his spirit in the thirty-third year of his age. And behold, angels filled the way between heaven and earth, rejoicing as they came to meet Saint Ciarán.

⁴² On the third night after the death of Saint Ciarán, the most holy abbot Cóemgen came from the province of the Leinstermen to the funeral rites of Saint Ciarán; and Saint Ciarán spoke to Saint Cóemgen, and they exchanged garments and established brotherhood between themselves and between their communities forever. This is already told at length and carefully in the Life of Cóemgen himself.

⁴³ When Saint Columba heard of the death of Saint Ciarán, he said: “Blessed be God, who has called the most holy Ciarán from this world to himself in his youth. For if he had lived until old age, the envy of many would have been raised against him, for he would have taken hold of almost the whole church of Ireland.” And Saint Columba composed a hymn for Saint Ciarán. Later, when he was visiting him in the city of Cluain, he said that while Ciarán was staying in his monastery, men tried to kill him. But while the blessed man was praying for him, God wondrously delivered him. For when they thought they were cutting the man’s throat, they were in fact striking a certain stone statue. When this was finally realized, the robbers, pierced with heartfelt remorse, hurried to Ciarán, the shepherd of souls, humbly confessed their fault, and, correcting the course of their lives, faithfully served under the yoke of Christ until death.

⁴⁴ Then the successor of Saint Ciarán said: “This hymn is famous and praiseworthy; what reward, then, shall be given to you, father?” Saint Columba replied: “Give me two hands full of earth from the grave of your holy father Ciarán; for I desire and love that more than pure gold and precious gems.” And Saint Columba, having received the earth from the grave of Saint Ciarán, set out for his island of Iona. While Saint Columba was sailing on the sea, a storm arose, and the ship was driven toward a whirlpool, a place called in the Scottish tongue Corryvreckan. In it there is a most dangerous sea vortex, from which no ships that enter ever escape. As the whirlpool began to draw the ship toward itself, the blessed Columba threw part of the earth of Saint Ciarán into the sea. Wonderful indeed to tell: at once the storm in the air, the surge of the waves, and the circling of the whirlpool all ceased together, until the ship had passed far beyond it. Then Saint Columba, giving thanks to God, said to his companions: “See, brothers, how great a grace the earth of the most blessed Ciarán has brought us.”

⁴⁵ The most blessed Ciarán, while living among human beings, led an angelic life; for the grace of the Holy Spirit burned in his face before the eyes of all. But who among mortals could fully recount his life in this world? Though he was young in age and body, he was a most holy elder in mind and character: outstanding in humility, gentleness, love, daily labors, nightly vigils, and all other divine works. Now, however, he lives in rest without toil, in youth without old age, in health without pain, in joy without sorrow, in peace without enemy, in abundance without want, in everlasting day without night, in the eternal kingdom without end, before the judgment seat of Christ [2 Cor 5:10]. He who with the Father and the Holy Spirit lives and reigns forever and ever. Amen.