The Life of St. Declan of Ardmore | Page 7

of Inisfallen, "erected and
finished the Church" of Ardmore. The "Wars of the Gaedhil and Gall"
have reference, circa 824 or 825, to plunder by the Northmen of Disert
Tipraite which is almost certainly the church of Dysert by the Holy
Well at Ardmore. The same fleet, on the same expedition, plundered
Dunderrow (near Kinsale), Inisshannon (Bandon River), Lismore, and
Kilmolash.
Regarding the age of our "Life" it is difficult with the data at hand to
say anything very definite. While dogmatism however is dangerous
indefiniteness is unsatisfying. True, we cannot trace the genealogy of
the present version beyond middle of the sixteenth century, but its
references to ancient monuments existing at date of its compilation
show it to be many centuries older. Its language proves little or nothing,
for, being a popular work, it would be modernised to date by each
successive scribe. Colgan was of opinion it was a composition of the
eighth century. Ussher and Ware, who had the Life in very ancient
codices, also thought it of great antiquity. Papebrach, the Bollandist, on
the other hand, considered the Life could not be older than the twelfth
century, but this opinion of his seems to have been based on a
misapprehension. In the absence of all diocesan colour or allusion one
feels constrained to assign the production to some period previous to
Rathbreasail. We should not perhaps be far wrong in assigning the first
collection of materials to somewhere in the eighth century or in the
century succeeding. The very vigorous ecclesiastical revival of the
eleventh century, at conclusion of the Danish wars, must have led to
some revision of the country's religious literature. The introduction, a
century and-a-half later, of the great religious orders most probably led
to translation of the Life into Latin and its casting into shape for
reading in refectory or choir.
Only three surviving copies of the Irish Life are known to the writer:
one in the Royal Library at Brussels, the second in the Royal Irish
Academy Collection (M. 23, 50, pp. 109-120), and the third in
possession of Professor Hyde. As the second and third enumerated are
copies of one imperfect exemplar it has not been thought necessary to
collate both with the Brussels MS. which has furnished the text here
printed. M. 23, 50 (R.I.A.) has however been so collated and the

marginal references initialled B are to that imperfect copy. The latter,
by the way, is in the handwriting of John Murphy "na Raheenach," and
is dated 1740. It has not been thought necessary to give more than the
important variants.
The present text is a reproduction of the Brussels MS. plus lengthening
of contractions. As regards lengthening in question it is to be noted that
the well known contraction for "ea" or "e" has been uniformly
transliterated "e." Otherwise orthography of the MS. has been
scrupulously followed--even where inconsistent or incorrect. For the
division into paragraphs the editor is not responsible; he has merely
followed the division originated, or adopted, by the scribe. The Life
herewith presented was copied in 1629 by Brother Michael O'Clery of
the Four Masters' staff from an older MS. of Eochy O'Heffernan's dated
1582. The MS. of O'Heffernan is referred to by our scribe as
"seinleabar," but his reference is rather to the contents than to the copy.
Apparently O'Clery did more than transcribe; he re-edited, as was his
wont, into the literary Irish of his day. A page of the Brussels MS.,
reproduced in facsimile as a frontispiece to the present volume, will
give the student a good idea of O'Clery's script and style.
Occasional notes on Declan in the martyrologies and elsewhere give
some further information about our saint. Unfortunately however the
alleged facts are not always capable of reconciliation with statements of
our "Life," and again the existence of a second, otherwise unknown,
Declan is suggested. The introduction of rye is attributed to him in the
Calendar of Oengus, as introduction of wheat is credited to St. Finan
Camm, and introduction of bees to St. Modomnoc,--"It was the full of
his shoe that Declan brought, the full of his shoe likewise Finan, but the
full of his bell Modomnoc" (Cal. Oeng., April 7th). More puzzling is
the note in the same Calendar which makes Declan a foster son of
Mogue of Ferns! This entry illustrates the way in which errors originate.
A former scribe inadvertently copied in, after Declan's name, portion of
the entry immediately following which relates to Colman Hua Liathain.
Successive scribes re-copied the error without discovering it and so it
became stereotyped.

LIFE OF ST. DECLAN or "BETHA DECCLAIN"
1. The most blessed Bishop Declan of the most noble race of the kings

of Ireland, i.e., the holy bishop who is called Declan was of the most