Plummer, Bethada Náem nÉrenn I (1922) — translated from the Irish.

¹ Well-born was that Ruadán: he was of the royal blood of Munster — Ruadán Finn son of Fergus Bern son of Dera Dub son of Daire Cerb son of Oilioll Flann Bec son of Fiacha Muillethan son of Eogan Mór son of Oilioll Olum.

² God chose that Ruadán in his mother’s womb, and from the refusal of her breast by him — for he was full of the grace of the Holy Spirit from the day of his birth to the day of his death. That Ruadán gave an exceeding great love to the Lord in his infancy.

³ When the age of learning came to him, the almighty Lord taught him to go and learn the Scripture and the catholic faith and all divine wisdom besides. Then Ruadán went into the southern Húi Néill to Finnén — to the bishop of Cluain Eraird; and he spent his time with him until he was perfect in the Scripture. Then he took leave to depart from his master. He took a blessing from him and left a blessing with him.

⁴ Then Ruadán went into Muscraige, into Ara Mac Ua Neitt, and raised a place of dwelling there. The Lord sent an angel to Ruadán thereafter, and this is what he said to him: “It is not the Lord’s will that your resurrection should be here.”

⁵ Then Ruadán went to Lothra in Ormond, where his city stands today. Saint Ruadán saw the horrible wild boar before him in the hollow of a tree — for that place was his resting-place. Fear seized Saint Ruadán at the sight of the boar. When the boar saw Ruadán, it went out of the place where it was, in submission to the Lord and to Ruadán. Ruadán built a noble church to the Lord there, at the angel’s command — from which Lothra in Munster is named today.

⁶ At the same time Brendan — that is, mac ui Alta — took a place of dwelling at a distance from Ruadán in Tulach Brenainn. Brendan built a little oratory there, where they could hear each other’s bells, day by day. Said Brendan: “We leave this district to Ruadán, for no one in one district with him deserves it, for his nobility and his own honour.”

⁷ Then Brendan went to Cluain Ferta Brenainn, where his own city stands today, and blessed it. Ruadán blessed Brendan for his submission to him, and this is what he said: “My city,” said he, “shall never be less strong than his city.”

⁸ Then Ruadán went into the district of Cineál Cairbre Mór to Snám Luthair. The king of the district died at that time. He was brought to Ruadán to be buried; and they were in grief and great lamentation. Saint Ruadán took pity on them, and entreated the Lord for him, so that God raised the king thereafter in honour of Ruadán. The king offered his city and his district, and himself, and his kindred besides, to God and to Ruadán for ever; and God’s name and Ruadán’s were magnified thereby.

⁹ One day Ruadán went to Ros Eirnine in the district of the Oirthir. He saw a multitude coming towards him there; they were robbers, with heavy grief and exceeding lamentation. Ruadán asked the cause of their sorrow. “We have cause,” said they: “a time of great plague has befallen us, and the treasures of the city were left hidden under the earth, and we know not in what hiding-place they are.”

¹⁰ Then Ruadán went round the city, continually striking his bell and beseeching the Lord for them. When the Lord heard Ruadán’s earnest intercession, the earth swallowed up from them(?) — that is, the earth opened over them — so that the treasures were manifest to all; and they gave their obedience from then on in honour of Saint Ruadán. And the nobles offered their cities and their kindred and themselves to God and to Ruadán. God’s name and Ruadán’s were magnified thereby.

¹¹ Five of Ruadán’s people went one day to fetch a vat of milk for the community seven days running. Now when the vessel of milk would come to the door of the city, it would be broken and spilt on the ground. Then Ruadán went to the door of the city, to learn who was doing that destruction of the five.

¹² Ruadán saw two demons before him — a demon on the right jamb and a demon on the left jamb — with an iron bar in the hand of each demon of them. “Therefore have you come here?” said Ruadán. “For this,” said they: “to break the vessels of the milk and to spill it.” “Therefore?” said Ruadán. “For this,” said they: “to ruin the five along with the guests and the poor besides.” Then Ruadán bound the demons thereafter to go before him into the depth of the great sea, and to abide there for ever, so that they should never come to destroy anyone in that same stead, nor in any other stead for ever. The demons did as Ruadán told them.

¹³ A certain leech of the Arada Cliach came to Ruadán to beseech him that he would make a physician of himself. Ruadán blessed his fists and his eyes for him. All the arts of healing were revealed to him thereafter so that he was perfect in them.

¹⁴ The queen of Cualu was seized by a dangerous great disease. Fifty physicians were attending her for a long while, and they could not heal her. Then the Lord came in the form of an angel to Ruadán, and this is what he said to him: “It is for you that the Lord has appointed to heal the queen.”

¹⁵ Ruadán arose from his sleep. Ruadán was revealed to the queen in a vision in her sleep, in a shining form and with exceeding glory. It seemed to her that he said to her: “I will send a young lad to you bearing my name on the day that I came here. So you shall have my form, and you shall see me.” Thereafter the queen offered herself into the hand of God and Ruadán, and told the physicians to turn back, since they could not heal her.

¹⁶ Then Ruadán sent the aforementioned physician to her; and a brazen vessel that he had was brought, with its fill of water, to Ruadán. Ruadán blessed the water and spat into it. And he gave a drink of it to the physician, and this is what Ruadán said to him thereafter: “Go to the queen, and take the same vessel with you. Spit yourself into it, and give a drink of it to the queen, and she shall be whole thereafter — that is, the clot of blood that is in her womb shall be parted from her as a dead birth; and take no reward from the king of Cualu save the cloak that he has, which is named Leuia.”

¹⁷ Then the physician went to the queen, and did as Ruadán had said; and the queen was healed thereafter. The king offered many gifts to the physician from him for healing the queen. “No,” said the physician, “they shall not be taken from you; but to take the leuia with me to Ruadán.” “you shall have it,” said the king of Cualu; and the king gave the linen cloak to him thereafter, and it remained upon Ruadán’s altar for a long time thereafter; and God’s name and Ruadán’s were magnified thereby.

¹⁸ One day Brendan’s ship was on the deep of the sea of Luimnech, and the ship foundered, and was drowned thereafter — and a young lad, a son of the king of the Britons who was studying with Brendan, in its hold. This is what Brendan said: “It is to Ruadán of Lothra that the Lord has appointed to turn this ship back again, and to raise the little boy.”

¹⁹ Then Brendan sent messengers to Ruadán to ask him to come to the place where he was, so that Ruadán might help in that case. Ruadán went to Brendan thereafter, and Ruadán entreated the Lord for them, so that God heard Ruadán’s intercession, and the ship turned back, and the king of the Britons’ son alive in it. And this is what the little boy said: “It is Ruadán’s hood that was with me under the sea, so that the water did not let me be drowned, until it turned me back again.” God’s name and Ruadán’s were magnified by that miracle.

²⁰ Three fifties of people Ruadán always had, and they obtained their living without human labour, save prayer and intercession of the Creator, and a fitting psalm-song with them every day, to praise the Lord for ever, so that they might obtain their livelihood. There was a wondrous tree that Ruadán had in the city; an angelic juice used to drip from the tree continually; it had the savour of wine, and a single drop sufficed. The saints of Ireland were seized with great envy at that, so that they were jealous of Ruadán.

²¹ So the saints of Ireland went to Finnén, bishop of Cluain Eraird — for he was a master of learning and teaching to a multitude of saints — and some say that he was so to all the saints of Ireland. The saints made a great complaint against Finnén(?), and this is what they said to him: that the serving-folk of his monks in their churches would not venture to go openly or secretly to Ruadán for their living. So Finnén and the saints of Ireland went thereafter, all together, to Lothra to Ruadán. When Finnén arrived in the city, he saw the mighty tree, and Finnén blessed the tree. They remained there thereafter until it was time for their meal.

²² The steward came to Ruadán and said to him: “No dripping has come from the tree for us today save a sufficiency for our own monk and household. And wherewith shall we feed the guests?” Said Saint Ruadán: “Bring the water of the well to us, and the Lord will turn it into wine thereafter.” Then the five went to the well and filled their vessel with water. A salmon came to them through the stone that was under the well thereafter. Its size was a wonder and past telling to them, for its mark remains in the stone still. Then the steward went to Ruadán with the water and the huge fish. Ruadán consecrated the water, and the Lord turned it into wine thereafter in honour of Ruadán.

²³ Then Ruadán regaled the saints of Ireland and his other guests that night with wine and fish, so that they were joyful and of good cheer thereafter. The saints besought Ruadán with earnest prayer that he would deal evenly with themselves and with their monks for their human living, that they might not be envious of him. Ruadán granted the request in humility and patience. Then Finnén blessed Ruadán as the reward of his submission, and blessed the city and the land, that it might bear fruit for him.

²⁴ This is what Finnén said to Ruadán thereafter: “I say to you, the land that shall be tilled by you, exceeding fruit shall come of it continually, and it shall never need manuring, as is done by other men.” Ruadán accepted that from Saint Finnén. Then Finnén and the saints of Ireland returned together from Ruadán with lasting peace; and Finnén bestowed his blessing on Ruadán thereafter.

²⁵ Diarmait son of Fergus Cerbeól — who is also called Diarmait mac Cerbaill — was king of Ireland in Ruadán’s time. That king sent stewards and serving-men throughout Ireland to levy his tribute and his maintenance, that his strength might be made manifest to the men of Ireland in double measure.

²⁶ He had a certain fierce young warrior who was his steward, whose name was Baclam — Satan inhabiting him before and after. He was ever fighting the devil, but they had the same tale with one another in seeking to do evil to God’s people continually. Then that spear-caster — Baclam with his mighty spear — at the devil’s instigation resolved to carry across Ireland the spear of the high-king, so that he might bear it through the forts and good cities of the kings and the nobles besides, that it might be an increase of strength to the high-king.

²⁷ Then Baclam went in that wise into Connacht especially. He went to the fort of Aed Guaire — the king of Uí Maine. When he arrived, everyone said to him: “Come with us, with honour and reverence into the city.” He said that he would not go at all until he bore the king’s spear across with him, as he would into the forts of every other king. When Aed Guaire’s household heard that, they broke up the city and let Baclam in — the city being ruined, and his spear across with him.

²⁸ Now when Aed Guaire heard of that deed, he raged and was filled with exceeding fury, and went to the place where the steward was, and dealt him a violent death-blow, so that he slew him at once. But though Aed Guaire did that deed, he thought it likely that it would not pass with him beyond the high-king’s vengeance. Then Aed Guaire went to Muscraige to Bishop Senach, and put himself under his protection because of the kinship that was between them, for their two mothers were sisters of each other.

²⁹ Then Bishop Senach went with Aed Guaire under the king’s displeasure to Ruadán of Lothra for his kinship with him; for it was two sisters of Ruadán that reared the noble bishop Senach — Cáel and Ruanat were their names. But though Ruadán accepted the protection, he feared that the king would not listen to him at all. Then Ruadán went with Aed Guaire to the Britons for fear of Diarmait the king, to safeguard his protection. He left him among the Britons and returned himself.

³⁰ Now as for King Diarmait, when he heard that, he sent messengers thereafter to the king of the Britons and to the nobles of the country besides, commanding them to make a raid of destruction unless they sent Aed Guaire back again. When the Britons heard that, they sent Aed Guaire back again.

³¹ Aed Guaire betook himself to Poll Ruadháin, for it was there he found Saint Ruadán before him. Then Ruadán made a hiding-place and a refuge in the earth for Aed Guaire in the little oratory where he himself was, serving the Lord, to safeguard his protection against the proud king; and he let none come to him save one gillie only, to serve the underground hiding-place in which he was with Saint Ruadán.

³² Diarmait heard that Aed Guaire had come to Ruadán to be safeguarded by him. Then Diarmait went to Poll Ruadháin, and sent a charioteer of his in a chariot to the little oratory where Saint Ruadán was serving the Lord, to take Aed with him from Ruadán. When the charioteer reached the little oratory, the Lord shut the eyes of his sight so that he was blind, and could not serve him at all. But the charioteer took earnest repentance of the deed he had purposed, and put himself under the doom of God and Ruadán therein.

³³ When it seemed long to the king that the charioteer was there, he himself went into the oratory to ask Ruadán where was the stead in which Aed Guaire was; for he thought that Ruadán would not deny him. “I know not,” said Ruadán, “unless he be under your feet.” Diarmait went back out of the oratory, for he understood not the word that Ruadán said to him. He wondered in his mind thereafter that Ruadán’s saying was true — that someone could put into the ground a stead where his foot was in the oratory — and that it was to avoid denial that Ruadán had spoken the word to him.

³⁴ The king then saw, when he looked into the oratory, another gillie of Ruadán’s serving-folk going to the underground place where Aed Guaire was, with a light burning with him to serve Aed therein, as was always done. That was revealed to Diarmait, and he called a gillie of his people whose name was Donnán, and this is what he said to him — to go into the oratory and to dig up the earth to Aed Guaire, and bring him out to himself from the hole in despite of Ruadán. Donnán went to the oratory with his iron tools. When he purposed to dig the earth with his tools down to Aed Guaire, his hand withered upon him so that he could not serve him at all.

³⁵ The deed of daring that Donnán attempted upon Ruadán — he took earnest repentance of it, and offered himself under the doom of God and Ruadán. As for the king’s charioteer whom the Lord blinded in the oratory in honour of Ruadán, and Donnán himself — Ruadán made monks of them, and blessed them, and it is they who are among the number of the saints of Ireland in Poll Ruadháin today. But when Diarmait saw that the messengers came not, he himself went to the oratory, and took Aed Guaire with him in despite of God and Ruadán. And they went thereafter to Tara, and Aed with him.

³⁶ That was a great anger to Ruadán, and he gathered his monks, and they went to Brendan of Birr. Brendan went with him and his monks, all together, to Tara. Ruadán demanded his protection from the king — from Diarmait. Diarmait refused Saint Ruadán promptly. When Ruadán and Brendan and their monks heard that, they began to strike their bells and their little bells against Diarmait, so that they were wearied with striking them. And they took their psalms of cursing and of denunciation against him, but they could not obtain their will of the high-king thereby, save that he held them in exceeding contempt.

³⁷ Ruadán and Brendan stayed in Tara that night. Twelve kings that were with Diarmait — their twelve sons were smitten that same night and found dead the next day. Then a great lament was raised in Tara when they were heard of. Those kings went to the high-king — to Diarmait — and this is what they said to him: “It is through the psalm-singing of the clerics and of Saint Ruadán, who is levying his quarrel here upon you, that our sons have been smitten.” Then the dead sons’ people went to Ruadán, and besought him with exceeding lamentation that he would raise their sons for them. Then Ruadán and Brendan with their monks went into cross-vigil thereafter, and made earnest intercession to the Lord for the raising of the dead sons; and the Lord turned them back to life again, in honour of Ruadán.

³⁸ Another night that Ruadán was in Tara levying his protection, a vision was shown to the king that night — he saw a mighty tree. It seemed to him that its top was in the wattles of heaven and its roots in the earth. He also saw three fifties of men coming towards it, a broad-edged axe in the hand of each of them, and they began to hew and to cleave the tree from them, until they felled it to the ground; and the sound of the tree’s fall woke the king from his deep sleep, terrified and troubled — and what the noise that dwelling in his ears after his death(?) was, was the sound of Ruadán’s psalm-singing with his monks and the striking of their bells together in cursing him, so that it filled his ears thereafter.

³⁹ The king went out of the city at sunrise — for it was a geis to the princes of Tara that the sunrise should take them still within the seven ramparts of Tara. Then the king went to the place where the holy cleric Ruadán was with his monks. When the king arrived the monks ceased from their psalm-singing and made silence to listen to the king.

⁴⁰ Then Diarmait said: “I have a good work: I go to defend the right and the truth, to keep the law, and to honour the ordinance. And this has been proven to me,” said he, “according to the confirmation of peace. But if it be you that do an evil work — going to defend injustice, to expel the law and the rule of sovereignty, to ruin the ordinance, and to protect the guilty — the Lord’s vengeance shall descend upon you therein,” said he.

⁴¹ Then Diarmait said: “Let this be your church, Ruadán — the first church despoiled before every chief church of Ireland.” Ruadán answered him: “May your sovereignty be the sooner despoiled,” said he, “and may none of your seed inhabit Tara after you.” Diarmait answered Ruadán: “May your place be waste,” said he, “for a herd of swine shall come to it and root it up with their snouts.” Ruadán answered him: “May Tara be waste for the first hundred years before that,” said he, “and none shall inhabit it thereafter till doom come.”

⁴² Diarmait answered him: “May shame come upon your body,” said he, “for there shall be a privation of limbs upon you — your eye, so that you shall not see to look across it, before you leav the earth.” Ruadán answered him: “May the weapons of enemies pierce you with a wretched wound,” said he, “and may a fierce pain of scattering be upon your limbs,” said he, “so that you shall not be found whole for burial.” Diarmait answered: “May your grave-mound — may a wild boar come to it and dig it up,” said he. Ruadán answered him: “I say to you,” said he, “the thigh that was not bared to me in Tara — you shall not be found whole of your limbs for burial; and the house in which you shall be slain,” said Saint Ruadán, “it shall be cast down, and upon the sheep of its floor the beams of the house shall be raised out of the lime-dust.”

⁴³ Diarmait said: “Leave it alone,” said he; “can you defend my realm? And you are protecting the guilty. I know now,” said he, “that there is cause of contention between us and the Lord. Turn back,” said Diarmait, “and let one of you come to me in exchange for his release.” While they were there, they saw thirty grey horses coming to Ruadán, unlike any other horses for beauty, coming out of the great sea at Poll Ruadháin to the south. Ruadán put them to race with the horses of Tara, and they beat the Tara horses in their race. And Ruadán gave the horses for the release of Aed Guaire. The king gave them to the nobles of his household. A little while thereafter the horses went back into the same great sea, without a bit of profit to their owners. Then Ruadán went out of Tara in peace with the king, and Aed Guaire with him.

⁴⁴ Ruadán saw lepers behind him. The lepers begged an alms of him. “There is nothing in my power here,” said he, “save the horses that are under the chariot — and they shall go to you for the Lord’s love.” Then the lepers went from Ruadán, and the horses with them. Then Ruadán saw two wild deer coming to him out of the wood near him; they put their heads under the poles of the chariot and bore him with great honour to his own city. Then the deer went back upon their own wilds.

⁴⁵ On a certain Lenten time Ruadán said to his monks: “There is a company of guests — saints — coming to you; take food with you to them, and do eat the food with them, since no sufficiency of other food has come into your power.” When the saints arrived, the monks took the food with them. Saint Ruadán blessed the food thereafter, though it was not lawful. The Lord Jesus Christ turned that food into bread in honour of Ruadán.

⁴⁶ But when the saints lay upon the tables, a certain strong man of the place came with them; he refused to eat the bread when he saw that it was of flesh the bread was made — for until that time it had been of doubt and unbelief to him. Another sufficiency of bread was found for him. While the strong man was eating the bread, it was revealed to the clerics and to all besides that it was a drop of red blood that was on his lip, and that it was flesh he was eating. It was revealed to him that all saw it so. The strong man took earnest repentance of that deed. When Ruadán saw the strong man’s repentance he blessed the strong man’s portion. The Lord turned it into natural bread thereafter in honour of Ruadán. God’s name and Ruadán’s were magnified by that miracle.

⁴⁷ One summer-time Saint Ruadán saw twelve lepers coming to him, and they asked an alms of the holy man. Then he said to them: “In the Lord’s power it is to give you an alms, poor wretches.” Then Saint Ruadán planted his crozier in the earth, so that the earth was pierced by it. A burst of water came through the earth thereafter, so that it became a famous well, whose name was Piscina, for a store of fish came to it. It is what everyone calls ‘Ruadán’s well’ today. As for the twelve lepers, they bathed in the water of the well so that they were wholly whole. God’s name and Saint Ruadán’s were magnified by that miracle.

⁴⁸ To that holy Ruadán the Lord Jesus Christ bestowed the wild deer out of the wood at evening-time at the hour of vespers. The wild hind used to stay for milking with Ruadán. And the hind used to run swiftly and eagerly; thereafter the hind went and came to Colmán Éla and was milked for Colmán a little after sunrise thereafter.

⁴⁹ One beginning of spring Ruadán purposed to abide in Doire Eidhnech. Mac Dairine of Doire Mór heard that he was there. The young man prepared to go to him with a great vessel full of butter, to bestow it on Ruadán. Then mac Dairine put the vessel upon two untamed oxen.

⁵⁰ The oxen made their way to the city from Doire Mór by a road that was never trodden before or after. The Lord prepared a famous road before them through the bog, which was never found before that time nor after; so that the road was hard and easy for the oxen at every step until they reached Ruadán in Doire Eidhnech. Ruadán made three fifties of portions of the vessel so that it sufficed for that same number of people. But the vessel was found full the next day thereafter, as it was when coming to Ruadán.

⁵¹ Once Ruadán chanced to be in Arad. He saw a woman coming to him; her cheeks were wet, with heavy grief and exceeding lamentation. And she besought Ruadán humbly and patiently to raise her son for her from death. When Ruadán entreated the almighty Lord for the dead man, the dead man arose thereafter.

⁵² Another lad Saint Ruadán raised: when his head was put under Ruadán’s casula, he arose from death.

⁵³ The third man whom Ruadán raised from the dead was in Cuilenn in the lordship of Éile. A monument was made for him in the place where those wonders were wrought. Tulach Ruadháin is its name to this day.

⁵⁴ There was a certain accursed young warrior in the district of the Húi Néill whose name was Aed Eccintach. Many evils were his, for he was fierce and evil-counselling. He had offered his land to Aed mac Bric. Aed had promised him God’s kingdom therein.

⁵⁵ The young warrior died thereafter. The vast, innumerable host of the demons fought against him. The holy bishop fought in the air for him against them. When they were about to deal violence to the bishop and carry the young warrior off to their dwelling and habitation — to hell — Bishop Aed quickly besought Ruadán and Colum Cille to come to his aid. Then the two holy men came to him, and they fought against them both together, and they took the young warrior with them into God’s kingdom, after victory over the demons.

⁵⁶ Now Ruadán and Colum Cille after that told each other that they had forgotten to strike their bells after that, leaving each other’s converse. Now Colum Cille had a golden manual, which was borne for writing by students. It was forgotten by him at Ruadán of Lothra’s one day thereafter.

⁵⁷ Baithín chanced to be near Colum Cille. Then Baithín said to Colum Cille: “Where,” said he, “is the manual you had the day of the judgement?” “I tell you, Baithín,” said Colum Cille, “that I forgot it that day of the judgement with Ruadán; and I tell you, go you yourself to Ruadán, and bring the manual with you for me.”

⁵⁸ Then Baithín went on the way to Ruadán. But Ruadán had the manual ready for Baithín, for it had been revealed to him long before that he would come — that Baithín would come for the manual. So Baithín left the converse of life with Ruadán and himself returned to Colum Cille with the book.

⁵⁹ Now Ruadán was twelve feet high, and perfect of form; for it was certain that Ruadán was regular within, for Ruadán was watchful within and without, and he was fervent within. Ruadán was noble in the presence of men; he was nobler in the presence of God. He was great of body; his grace was greater. The holy Ruadán was great in the presence of God and men; as he was in the time that is here, so much the more is he in the time that is without coming(?).

⁶⁰ He was great in love, he was great in humility, and great in patience and in mercy; and as he was in much goodness, so frequent and manifold were his worthy good works in the world; and it is from this that he found much goodness on high from the Son of the Virgin Mary, Jesus Christ our Lord. For this reason also he found the shining reward and the unspeakable honour and the glory that cannot be extinguished for ever, in the land of heaven, in the presence of the high King, Father and Son and Holy Spirit, the great Trinity, one God, the almighty Lord, our one high King, in whom is the everlasting peace and the fulness of all goodness, et reliqua.

It is from the book of Echraid Uí Shiagail of Fir Chell that this life of Ruadán was taken, in the convent of the brethren of Athlone, in the year of the Lord at that time, 30 February 1628; and the same life was written by the same scribe in the convent of the brethren of Donegal, in the year of the Lord at this time, 2 March 1629. I am the poor friar Mícheál Ó Cléirigh.

⁶¹ Once when Saint Ruadán went on a clerical round to the king of the Eoghanacht of Cashel — Eochaid son of Máel Ugra — it was at that time that a certain druid of the men of Alba came on a foraging circuit to the men of Ireland, with his heavy oxen with him, to take the honour-price of Ireland, or to obtain everything he should demand of the men of Ireland.

⁶² Lobhán was the druid’s name; and he came to the place where Eochaid was, and took no other boon of him save the one eye that was in his head to be given him, or his honour — and the honour of the men of Ireland — to be taken by him into Alba. When the king heard that, he said that he would keep his honour uninjured, but that the eye would not remain(?)… Then he put his finger under his eye, and flung the eye into the druid’s bosom.

⁶³ When Saint Ruadán saw the unlawful recompense that the druid demanded, he fell upon his knees and made a cross-vigil, and prayed God earnestly that the two eyes of the druid Lobhán might go into the head of King Eochaid to serve him instead of his own eye; and that was fulfilled through Saint Ruadán’s intercession.

⁶⁴ The druid’s two eyes sprang out of his head through Saint Ruadán’s intercession and through God’s might, and went into the face and countenance of Eochaid, and served him as though they had been his own eyes from the beginning of his life; so that everyone who saw him used to say: “It is Lobhán’s eyes that are on him” — from which he was named Súillebháin (“little-eye-Lobhán”). When Eochaid saw that miracle, he offered himself with his seed and his children in perpetual possession to God and to Ruadán; and God’s name and Ruadán’s were magnified thereby.