The Life of St. Declan of Ardmore | Page 9

son of Measfore, son of Cuana
Cainbhreathaigh, son of Conaire Cathbuadhaigh, son of Cairbre, son of
Eoghan, son of Fiacha Suighde, son of Felimidh Reachtmhar, son of
Tuathal Teachtmhar. The father of Declan was therefore Erc Mac Trein.
He and his wife Deithin went on a visit to the house of his kinsman

Dobhran about the time that Declan's birth was due. The child she bore
was Declan, whom she brought forth without sickness, pain or
difficulty but in being lifted up afterwards he struck his head against a
great stone. Let it be mentioned that Declan showed proofs of
sanctification and power of miracle-working in his mother's womb, as
the prophet writes:--"De vulva sanctificavi te et prophetam in gentibus
dedi te" [Jeremias 1:5] (Before thou camest forth out of the womb I
sanctified thee and made thee a prophet unto the nations). Thus it is that
Declan was sanctified in his mother's womb and was given by God as a
prophet to the pagans for the conversion of multitudes of them from
heathenism and the misery of unbelief to the worship of Christ and to
the Catholic faith, as we shall see later on. The very soft apex of his
head struck against a hard stone, as we have said, and where the head
came in contact with the stone it made therein a hollow and cavity of its
own form and shape, without injury of any kind to him. Great wonder
thereupon seized all who witnessed this, for Ireland was at this time
without the true faith and it was rarely that any one (therein) had shown
heavenly Christian signs. "Declan's Rock" is the name of the stone with
which the Saint's head came into contact. The water or rain which falls
into the before-mentioned cavity (the place of Declan's head) dispels
sickness and infirmity, by the grace of God, as proof of Declan's
sanctity.
3. On the night of Declan's birth a wondrous sign was revealed to all,
that is to the people who were in the neighbourhood of the birthplace;
this was a ball of fire which was seen blazing on summit of the house
in which the child lay, until it reached up to heaven and down again,
and it was surrounded by a multitude of angels. It assumed the shape of
a ladder such as the Patriarch, Jacob saw [Genesis 28:12]. The persons
who saw and heard these things wondered at them. They did not know
(for the true faith had not yet been preached to them or in this region)
that it was God who (thus) manifested His wondrous power (works) in
the infant, His chosen child. Upon the foregoing manifestation a certain
true Christian, scil.:--Colman, at that time a priest and afterwards a holy
bishop, came, rejoicing greatly and filled with the spirit of prophecy, to
the place where Declan was; he preached the faith of Christ to the
parents and made known to them that the child was full of the grace of
God. He moreover revealed to them the height of glory and honour to

which the infant should attain before God and men, and it was revealed
to him that he (Declan) should spend his life in sanctity and devotion.
Through the grace of God, these, i.e. Erc and Deithin, believed in God
and Colman, and they delivered the child for baptism to Colman who
baptised him thereupon, giving him the name of Declan. When, in the
presence of all, he had administered Baptism, Colman spoke this
prophecy concerning the infant "Truly, beloved child and lord you will
be in heaven and on earth most high and holy, and your good deeds,
fame, and sanctity will fill all (the four quarters of) Ireland and you will
convert your own nation and the Decies from paganism to Christianity.
On that account I bind myself to you by the tie of brotherhood and I
commend myself to your sanctity."
4. Colman thereupon returned to his own abode; he commanded that
Declan should be brought up with due care, that he should be well
trained, and be set to study at the age of seven years if there could be
found in his neighbourhood a competent Christian scholar to undertake
his tuition. Even at the period of his baptism grace and surpassing
charity manifested themselves in the countenance of Declan so that it
was understood of all that great should be the goodness and the
spiritual charm of his mature age. When Dobhran had heard and seen
these things concerning his kinsman Erc he requested the latter and
Deithin to give him the child to foster, and with this request Erc
complied. The name of the locality was "Dobhran's Place" at that time,
but since then it has been "Declan's Place." Dobhran presented the