DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY Irish hagiography and its dating A study of the O'Donohue group of Irish saints' lives Szacillo, Judyta Award date: 2013 Awarding institution: Queen's University Belfast Link to publication Terms of use All those accessing thesis content in Queen’s University Belfast Research Portal are subject to the following terms and conditions of use • Copyright is subject to the Copyright, Designs and Patent Act 1988, or as modified by any successor legislation • Copyright and moral rights for thesis content are retained by the author and/or other copyright owners • A copy of a thesis may be downloaded for personal non-commercial research/study without the need for permission or charge • Distribution or reproduction of thesis content in any format is not permitted without the permission of the copyright holder • When citing this work, full bibliographic details should be supplied, including the author, title, awarding institution and date of thesis Take down policy A thesis can be removed from the Research Portal if there has been a breach of copyright, or a similarly robust reason. 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Sep. 2021 IRISH HAGIOGRAPHY AND ITS DATING: A STUDY OF THE O’DONOHUE GROUP OF IRISH SAINTS’ LIVES by Judyta Aleksandra Szacillo MA Hons This thesis is offered for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy to the School of History and Anthropology, Faculty of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences at Queen’s University of Belfast. September 2012 Acknowledgements Several people have played a substantial role in helping me to complete my work. First of all, my deepest gratitude goes to my supervisor, Marie Therese Flanagan, who provided me with constant and tireless support, patience and assistance, whose contributions and detailed comments have been of the greatest value and who was always available and ready to help. My studies on Irish medieval hagiography would not have been possible without the financial support of the School of History and Anthropology at Queen’s University; I address special thanks to the Head of the School, David Hayton, and also to the School Managers, Frances Mercer and Catherine Boone, who have always supported me and my restless organisational ideas. I cannot leave without mentioning the Senior Librarians from the Special Collections, Queen’s University Library, Brenda Robinson and Diarmuid Kennedy, their eagerness to help, the excellent manner in which they provide the library service and their genuine interest in supporting me in my research. I am indebted for life to my Mother, who gave me more than I can ever describe. And, last but not least, I would like to thank my friend, Miguel Ortiz, for his devotion, support, encouragement and understanding that he has so generously been giving me for the last several years. CONTENTS Abbreviations 6 Chapter 1: Introduction 12 Chapter 2: Background information 18 2.1. Manuscripts and editions 18 2.2. O’Donohue group 24 2.3. The datable Lives 31 Chapter 3: Vita sancti Albei 40 3.1. Ailbe’s Lives 40 3.2. Pre-Patrician Ailbe 44 3.3. Ailbe’s childhood 49 3.4. Ailbe in Rome 53 3.5. The Law of Ailbe 60 3.6. Alternative datings 68 3.7. Summary 74 Chapter 4: Vita sancti Ruadani 77 4.1. Attributes 77 4.2. Ruadán, other saints and the Twelve 80 Apostles of Ireland 4.3. Ruadán’s Lives 86 4.4. Ruadán’s genealogy 89 4.5. Locations 93 3 4.6. Ruadán, the Eóganachta and the curse 104 of Tara 4.7. Two Guaires, two Diarmaits and many saints 109 4.8. Summary 113 Chapter 5: Vita sancti Aidi 115 5.1. VAidi – editors and commentators 115 5.2. Áed’s genealogy and ‘liminal’ birth 121 5.3. Attributes 126 5.4. Áed and the kings 129 5.5. Áed, Brigit and other women 132 5.6. Locations 137 5.7. VAidi – a source for the hagiographer of St 140 Cainnech? 5.8. Summary 142 Chapter 6: Vita sancti Fintani seu Munnu 145 6.1. VMunnu and the question of text 145 transmission 6.2. Many pedigrees of Munnu 148 6.3. Locations 149 6.4. Munnu, kings and the ‘prince’ 155 6.5. Munnu’s faults and other saints 161 6.6. Leprosy and the Easter question 168 6.7. Summary 172 Chapter 7: Vita sancti Colmani 174 7.1. Colmnán’s origins 174 7.2. The man of learning 177 4 7.3. Colmán the peace-maker 184 7.4. Two datable phrases 188 7.5. Lynally and Connor 192 7.6. The Colmáns 197 7.7. Summary 199 Chapter 8: Dating of the O’Donohue group: conclusion 201 Appendices 206 Bibliography 213 5 ABBREVIATIONS The list of abbreviations below covers all the titles of the editions of the primary sources, periodicals and publication series. Where an individual article or a book is referred to more than once in the text, an abbreviated form is used after the first full reference. All the references follow the Irish Historical Studies Rules for Contributors, supplemented by the system of referencing in A new history of Ireland, i (Oxford, 2005), and by several independently created abbreviations according to the needs arising the text. When necessary, the access date to an online publication is shown in square brackets (with an exception of the annalistic sources online that have been used on a regular basis). Acta SS Acta sanctorum quotquot toto orbe coluntur vel a catholicis scriptoribus celebrantur quae ex Latinis et Graecis aliarumque gentium antiquis monumentis collegit (...) Johannes Bollandus Societatis Jesu theologus (...) etc. (Antwerp, 1643-) Adomnán, Life of Sharpe, R. (trans.), Life of St Columba Columba (Harmondsworth, 1995) Adomnán, Vita Anderson, A. O., Anderson, M. O. (ed.), Adomnan’s Columbae Life of Columba (Edinburgh, London, 1961) Anal. Bolland. Analecta Bollandiana (Paris and Brussels, 1882-) A.F.M. O’Donovan, J. (ed. and trans.), Annala rioghachta Eireann: Annals of the kingdom of Ireland by the Four Masters from the earliest period to the year 1616 (7 vols, Dublin, 1851; reprint New York, 1966; online: Corpus of Electronic Texts, University College, Cork, 2002 http://www.ucc.ie/celt/published/G100005A/index.html ) A.U.² Mac Airt, S., Mac Niocaill, G. (ed. and trans.), The Annals of Ulster to A.D. 1311 (Dublin, 1983; online: Corpus of Electronic Texts, University College, Cork, 6 2002 http://www.ucc.ie/celt/published/G100001A/index.html ) Ann. Clon. Murphy, D. (ed.), The Annals of Clonmacnoise, being annals of Ireland from the earliest period to A.D. 1408, translated into English, A.D. 1627, by Conell Mageoghagan (Dublin, 1896) Ann. Conn. Freeman, M. A. (ed.), Annála Connacht (...) A.D. 1224- 1544) (Dublin, 1944; online: Corpus of Electronic Texts, University College, Cork, 2001 http://www.ucc.ie/celt/published/G100011/index.html) Ann. Inisf. Mac Airt, S. (ed. and trans.), The Annals of Inisfallen (MS Rawlinson B503) (Dublin, 1951; online: Corpus of Electronic Texts, University College, Cork, 2002 http://www.ucc.ie/celt/published/G100004/index.html) Ann. Loch Cé Hennessy, W. M. (ed. and trans.), The Annals of Loch Cé, 2 vols (London, 1871; reprint. Dublin, 1939); online: Corpus of Electronic texts, University College, Cork, 2008 http://www.ucc.ie/celt/published/T100010B/index.html) Ann. Tig. Stokes, W. (ed.), ‘The Annals of Tigernach’ in Rev. Celt., 16-18 (1896-7; online: Corpus of Electronic Texts, University College, Cork, 1996 http://www.ucc.ie/celt/published/G100002/index.html) Bethu Brigte Ó hAodha, D. (ed. and trans.), Bethu Brigte (Dublin, 1978; online: Corpus of Electronic Texts, University College, Cork, 2001 http://www.ucc.ie/celt/published/G201002/index.html) Bk Leinster Bergin, O. J., Best, R. I., O’Brien, M. A. (ed.), Book of Leinster, formerly Lebar na Núachongbála, 6 vols (Dublin, 1954-83) C.I.H. Binchy, D. A. (ed.), Corpus iuris Hibernici (6 vols, Dublin, 1978) Camb. Med. Celt. Cambridge Medieval Celtic Studies (Leamington Spa, Studies 1981-93, 25 issues; continued as Cambrian Medieval Celtic Studies, Aberystwyth, 1993-) Celtica Celtica (Dublin, 1946-) 7 Chron. Scot. Hennessy, W. M. (ed.), Chronicum Scotorum: a chronicle of Irish affairs (...) to 1135, and supplement (...) 1141-1150 (London, 1866; reprint Wiesbaden, 1964; online: Corpus of Electronic Texts, University College, Cork, 2003 http://www.ucc.ie/celt/published/G100016/index.html) Chronicle of Ireland Charles-Edwards, T. M. (ed. and trans.), The Chronicle of Ireland (2 vols, Liverpool, 2006) Colgan, Acta SS Hib. Colgan. J., Acta sanctorum veteris et maioris Scotiae, seu Hiberniae sanctorum insulae (...) (2 vols, Louvain, 1645; reflex facsimile Dublin, 1948) E.H.R. English Historical Review (London, 1886-) Éigse Éigse: a journal of Irish studies (Dublin, 1939-) Ériu Ériu: founded as the journal of the School of Irish Learning (Dublin, 1904-) Études Celt. Études Celtiques (Paris, 1936-) Fél. Oeng. Stokes, W. (ed. and trans.), Félire Oengusso Céli Dé: the martyrology of Oengus the Culdee (London, 1905) Fragmentary Annals Radner, J. N. (ed.), Fragmentary Annals of Ireland (Dublin, 1978) Heist, Vitae SS Hib. Heist, W. W. (ed.), Vitae sanctorum Hiberniae ex codice olim Salmanticensi nunc Bruxellensi (Brussels, 1965) Hermathena Hermathena: a series of papers (...) by members of Trinity College, Dublin (Dublin, 1874-) I.E.R.