The life of St. Patrick and his place in history

by J. B. Bury

[Ib.]—Ardpatrick. The tradition that Patrick founded Ard Patric east of Louth, though not in the Lib. Arm., deserves mention, because Mochtae, whom Patrick established there according to Vit. Trip. 226-8, is mentioned in Adamnan’s Vita Columbae in the only passage where Adamnan refers to Patrick (Preface):—

quidam proselytus Brito, homo sanctus, sancti Patricii episcopi discipulus, Maucteus nomine.

According to Ann. Ult. Maucteus died in A.D. 535 or 537. If he was a pupil of Patrick, he must have been very old when he died. A work by Mochtae was quoted in the Liber Cuanach: Ann. Ult., s.a. 471; and the opening words of a letter of his are given s.a. 535: Maucteus peccator prespiter sancti Patricii discipulus in Domino salutem.

[P. 163.]—Patrick in Leinster. Sources: Tírechán 330-1; Add. Notices, 342-6 and 349-50 (with corresponding passages in Vit. Trip.). For Munster and Ossory, see Tír. 331. The Muskerry of Co. Cork is indicated in Add. Notices, p. 351₂ = Vit. Trip. 220. For North Munster (Thomond) see 350₃₁ = Vit. Trip. 200. Tírechán notices the foundation of Domus Martyrum (Martortech) at Druimm Urchaille (in Co. Kildare). For its site compare Shearman’s conjectures, Loc. Patr. p. 112.

[Ib.]—Consecration of Auxilius and Iserninus.—The evidence for their consecration by Patrick is Tírechán, 331₃: et ordinarit Auxilium puerum Patricii exorcistam et Eserninum et Mactaleum in Cellola Cuilinn. It may be questioned whether the text is sound; there is certainly some mistake about Auxilius, who could not be described as puer Patricii exorcista, and it is not stated to what order they were ordained. In Tírechán’s list of bishops ordained by Patrick (304), Auxilius and Mactaleus appear, but not Iserninus. In the corresponding passage in the Vit. Trip. (186) nothing is said of ordaining (“he left Auxilius in Killossy, and Iserninus and MaccTail in Kilcullen”). In the Add. Notices in Lib. Arm. (p. 342) it seems to be implied that Iserninus was already a bishop. See above, [p. 310].

[P. 164.]—Birth of Iserninus in Cliu (Add. Notices, p. 342). For the locality see Shearman, Loca Patriciana, p. 141 note.

[P. 165.]—Fíacc. Memoranda in Lib. Arm. (Trip. 344); cp. Muirchu, 283. The story represents Fíacc as consecrated bishop per saltum. This may be an error. It is possible that he did not become a bishop till he went to Slébte, and that at Domnach Féicc he was in inferior orders.

[Ib.]—Domnach Féicc. Shearman, 186-8; the argument is at least plausible, that it lay in the region between Clonmore and Aghowle. He would fix it more precisely in the townland of Kilabeg.

[P. 170.]—The liturgy used by Patrick. Compare Duchesne, Origines du culte chrétien, 3rd ed. (1903), chap. iii. p. 88 sqq. The Antiphonary of Bangor is an example of a Gallican liturgy unmodified by Roman influence, and according to Dr. MacCarthy we have another in the oldest part of the Stowe missal (see above [Appendix A, i. 3], ad fin.). For Celtic liturgies see Warren, Liturgy and Ritual of the Celtic Church (1881), the chief book on the subject. A missa Patricii (mass of Patrick) is mentioned in Tírechán (322₁₉). I cannot say what attention should be paid to the statements about the Scottic liturgy in the Cursus Romanus printed in Warren 77 sqq. (Haddan and Stubbs, Councils, i. 138). Cp. Ussher, Brit. eccl. ant. (Works, vi. p. 480).