Saint Aidan of Ferns (Walsh)

From Walsh's Ecclesiastical History of Ireland, 1891, c. xix, p. 171 ff:

SEE OF FERNS— ITS FOUNDER.

Saint Aidanus, commonly called Moedoc, or Moeg. His first name was Hugh. He was of an illustrious family of Connaught; was the son of Setna, of the Hy-Bruin sept (BrefFny) and Ethne, his mother being of the race of Aiilai in Tyrawley; they were a long time married without having issue. They frequently supplicated the Almighty to listen to their praj'ers and grant them a son. They were in the habit of visiting the monastery of Drum-leathan, and of giving abundant alms. At length their pious prayers were favorably listened to, and our Saint Maidoc was born on a small island, Inis-Breagh-Mugli, in the county of Cavan. (Tlie territory now known as Cavan was then a portion of Connaught called BrefFny Oreilly.)

The time of his birth was about the year 560, as appears from the fact that when a small boy he was delivered as one of the hostages whom the chiefs of the father's sept were compelled to give Anmiracus, king of Ireland, and whose reign began in 568 and ended in the year 571. "When he returned to his parents, they consigned him to the care of some holy men for his education, and he soon became a proficient in piety as well as in his studies. While yet young, his reputation for sanctity became so conspicuous that several pious persons were inclined to join him in his exercises of devotion and become his disciples. The Saint, too humble to accept of such a distinction, and to avoid any importunity arising from their desire, left his own country and repaired to Menevia, in "Wales, the establishment of St. David  here also, his sane tity became celebrated. About the year 589 he departed from St. David's, and having landed in the county of Wexford, he erected a church at Ardlathran, in the southern part of that county. He soon after erect ed another at Clonmore in the barony of Baiitry, and being much revered by Brandubh, king of Leinster, this prince assigned him, a site on which he built the celebrated Monastery of Ferns about the year 598. At the request of Brandubh, a synod was soon after convened, in which it was decreed that Ferns should be an episcopal see, and besides raised to the dignity of an archbishopric — not such as now canonically exists, but something in the shape of preeminence arising from the dignity and sanctity, and the character of the individual (such as St. Fiech, of Sletty). Hence we find various bishops called metropolitans of Connaught, of Lcinster, though it is certain neither province enjoyed the title until
the synod held at Kells in 1152, under Cardinal Paparo. The title was also one of courtesy, as it was often conferred through the favor of princes.

The memory of St. Maidoc or Aidan is highly revered in Wales, and several miracles have been attributed to him. He died on the 31st of January, 632.

The successors of Saint Aidan (1222-1539) (Walsh)

From Walsh's Ecclesiastical History of Ireland, 1891, c. xix, p. 177 ff:

John de St. John, treasurer of the cathedral of Limerick and of Ireland, succeeded in 1223. He erected or endowed a deanery in his church, and made the priory of Enniscorthy, with the consent of the
patron, a cell to the abbey of St. Thomas, near Dublin. He is also classed among the principal benefactors to his church, on account of the buildings he erected, and of the privileges which he procured for his see. In September, 1240, he convened a diocesan synod at "Wexford, in the abbey of Saints Peter and Paul, at Selsker. This prelate granted to the abbey of Douske or the vale of St. Saviour, all the land of Killacy, reserving a yearly rent of ten shillings payable to him and to his suc-
cessors. Having governed his see about twenty-one years, with great credit and integrity, he died in the year 1243.

Geoffrey St. John, the brother of his predecessor and official of Ferns, succeeded him in the year 1243; he had also been treasurer of the cathedral of Limerick, and escheator of Ireland before his promotion to the see. Before his death he petitioned Pope Alexander IV against Fulk, archbishop of Dublin, for burdening him with too great a retinue in his visitations, which was not warranted by the canons of the Lateran council, and through which he was obliged to incur larger expenses than the income of his diocese would permit; the Pope granted him a a license not to receive the archbishop with greater numbers in his trail, than the canons allowed.

Hugh de Lampert, treasurer of Ferns, was elected in 1258, and was consecrated the same year. He is reckoned among the benefactors to the abbey of St. Alban's, in England. He died on the 23d of May,
1282.

Eichard de Northampton, canon of the cathedral of Eallaloe, succeeded in 1282, and was consecrated the following year. He died in the year 1303, and in the twenty-first of his consecration, and was
buried at Ferns, in the cathedral of St. Aidan.

Simon de Evesham, succeeded in 1304, and consecrated in June; died in the following September.

Robert Walrand, succeeded in 1305. Governed the see about six years, and died at Ferns, on tlie 17th of November, 1311.

Adam de Northampton, succeeded in 1312, and was consecrated bishop of Ferns on Trinity Sunday. He appropriated the church of Maglass to the deanery of his cathedral on the 29th of October, 1346.
While Adam sat, Ferns and its castle were plundered, and set on fire by the Irish, who are called by English writers rebels. He adhered to Edward Bruce, on his arrival in those parts, and to Robert his brother, for which he was called to account for his treason in furnishing provisions, men and arms, to the invaders.

Hugh de Saltu, so called from the place of his birth, at Leixlip, near the Salmon-leap, on the Liffey, prebendary of St. Patrick's, Dublin, was consecrated in tliat city on Passion Sunday, 1347; he was
deprived before the end of the year by the Pope, who alleged that he had reserved to himself the provision to the see of Ferns.

Geoffrey Grosseld, doctor of divinity, and an Augustin hermit, succeeded by provision of Pope Clement VI., and was consecrated at Avignon, 1347, and died in the following year, October the 22d, of the plague, which was very fatal both in England and Ireland.

John Esmond, was consecrated about the end of 1349, and was soon after deprived by the Pope. John determined to hold the bishopric by force, or hinder his successor from the possession of it. In his resistance he was supported by William Furlong, and twenty-six others, who prevented the sheriff from enforcing the writ, commanding him to remove all force from the church and diocese of Ferns. Soon after, John Esmond was arrested, and obliged to give bail for keeping the peace, and to abide the judgment of the king's bench, on an indictment preferred against him.

William Chamells, a monk, was provided to the see by the Pope, in 1350, and obtained the temporals. When the castle of Ferns was taken by the Irish rebels, he, in person, headed a party of his servants and dependents, and putting the assailants to flight, recovered his castle. He sat about twelve years, and was a short time treasurer of Ireland. He died in July, 1362.

TSiomas Den, archdeacon of Ferns, was consecrated on Trinity Sunday, 1363, and sat upwards of thirty-seven years. He died in a very advanced age, in August, 1400.

Patrick Barrett, an Augustin canon of Kells in Ossory, succeeded, A.D. 1400. He was, by command of the Pope, consecrated at Rome. He was for a time chancellor of Ireland, and exercised that ofiice with great ability. He appropriated the church of Ardcolen to the abbey of Saints Peter and Paul, at Selsker, near Wexford. Patrick died in November, 1415, and was buried in the abbey of Kells.

Robert Whittey, chanter of Ferns, was promoted to the see by Pope Martin V., in 1416. He appropriated the church of Ardkevin to the abbey at Selsker, and died in 1458. He was bedridden almost ten years before his death. He had, according to Wadding, a Franciscan friar, Thady, as his coadjutor, in 1451.

John Pursell, who succeeded in 1459, governed the see about twenty years. Died in 1479.

Lawrence Nevil, canon of Ferns, was advanced to the see by provision of Pope Sixtus IV., and obtained the temporals on the 20th of May, 1480. He sat twenty-three years, and died in 1503.

Edmond Comerford, dean of Kilkenny, was consecrated in St. Canice's church, in the year 1505. Having presided four years, he died on Easter Sunday, 1509.

Nicholas Comyn was consecrated bishop of Ferns, in St. Paul's church, London, in January, 1509. He must have been coadjutor to Edmond Comerford, or Edmund must have resigned. Bishop Nicholas
was translated to the sees of Waterford and Lismore in 1519.

John Pursell, succeeded to the see of Ferns, in 1519. He was consecrated at Rome on the 6th of May, of this year. He was committed a prisoner to the custody of the marshal of the exchequer, on the 1st
of September, 1531; the reason is unknown. He died on the 20th of July, 1539.

Ferns Abbey (Walsh)

From Walsh's Ecclesiastical History of Ireland, 1891, c. lxv, p. 100 ff:

Ferns, an episcopal seat on the river Banne, about five miles north of Enniscorthy. St. Maidoc, or Aidanus, was the founder.

A.D. 601, King Brandubh was interred here.

A.D. 834, the Danes destroyed Ferns with fire.

A.D. 836, they repeated their barbarous conduct.

A.D. 838, another attack on Ferns by the Danes.

A.D. 868, died the Abbot Dermot.

A.D. 917, the Danes ravaged and plundered the abbey.

A.D. 944, died the Abbot Flathgus.

A.D. 975, the Abbot Conding died.

A.D. 1166, Diarmid Mac Murchad, king of Leinster, set fire to, and destroyed the town.

In atonement for this breach of humanity, this prince founded an abbey here, under the invocation of the Virgin Mary, for canons regular of St. Augustine, and endowed it with so much of the lands of Ballisisin and Ballilacussa, as would form the site of a village; Borin, Roshena and Kilbridy for two villages; and the lands of Ballisislan, in Fothert, near "Wexford, and those of Munemoth, in Ferneghenal; also a cell at Thamoling, being the chapel of St. Mary; the lands of Baligery with its fisheries, and his own chapelry; together with all the tithes and first fruits of the demesne of Perhukenselich, and a flagon of ale out of every brewing in Ferns; the cell of Finnachia, in Ferns
aforesaid, and the lands of Balliculum and Ballinafussin, with three acres adjoining the said cell. Witnesses: Christian, of Lismore, legate, Donat, bishop of Leighlin; Joseph, bishop of Ferns; Domnald, bishop of Ossory; Malachy, bishop of Kildare; Celestine, bishop, and Laurence, abbot of Glendaloch."

A.D. 1171, on the 1st of May, died impenitent, without sacraments or extreme unction, Dermot, the founder, and was interred here.

A.D. 1172, died the abbot Brighdean O'Cathan.

Dowyll was the last abbot. He surrendered in the thirty-first of Henry VIII. The possessions of this abbey in lands consisted of 590 acres, with the tithes and appurtenances thereof, all situate and lying
in this county.

November 20th, twenty-sixth of Queen Elizabeth, a lease of this abbey for the term of sixty years was granted to Thomas Masterson, at the annual rent of £16.

Saint Aidan of Ferns (Brenan)

From An ecclesiastical history of Ireland: from the introduction of Christianity into that country, to the year 1829, by Michael John Brenan, Volume 1 (1840), from p. 149:

The See of Ferns was founded by St. Aidan or Maidoc about the year 600. Aidan was of an illustrious family in Connaught his Father Letna having been descended from Brian Prince of the Hy bruin sept in Breffny and his mother from the high and ancient race of Auli.(1.) When a youth Aidan was one of the hostages whom the people of Breffny had been obliged to give to Anmiracus King of Ireland and some time after his liberation he withdrew from his native country and retired to the establishment of St David at Menevia in Wales. Here his extraordinary sanctity soon rendered him celebrated. About the year 589 Aidan departed from Menevia and having landed in the now County of Wexford he erected a Church at a place called Ardlathran in the southern part of that county His next establishment was at Clonemore in the barony of Bantry and having been held in great reverence by Brandubh King of Leinster that Prince assigned him a site on which he erected his celebrated Monastery of Ferns about the year 600. At the request of Brandubh a numerous Synod was soon after convened in which it was decreed that Ferns should become an Episcopal See and be moreover raised to the dignity of Archbishopric of Leinster On this occasion Aidan was consecrated its first Bishop. (2.) Usher remarks that by this decree the Archiepiscopate of Leinster had been removed from Sletty but was afterwards transferred from Ferns to Kildare. (3.) It is at all events most certain that these so called Archbishops whether of Sletty or of Ferns were not strictly speaking Metropolitans nor were they invested with Archiepisoopal power or that jurisdiction provided by the Canon law. They enjoyed by courtesy and very often through the favour of princes a degree of honorary pre-eminence and for this reason we find the title passing in those days from one see to another. The reputation of St. Aidan was not confined to Ireland. His memory has been highly revered both in Wales and in other countries and several miracles have been attributed to him. He died on the 31st of January AD 632 and was buried at Ferns. (4.) St. Aidan was succeeded in the See of Ferns by St. Moling, a native of the territory of Hy Kinsellagh. Between the death of this Prelate and the incumbency of the learned Alban O Mulloy in the twelfth century the names of fifteen Bishops have been recorded while their acts like most of our other national documents have perished beneath the fury of the Danes or the still more unsparing rapacity of the English invaders.

(1.) AASS p. 216
(2.) Vita c. 28
(3.) Usher p. 965
(4.) Usher p. 966

A Latin Mass in Annacurra

What has already been said of fair Annacurra can only be reiterated by those members and friends of St. Aidan's Catholic Heritage Association who had the grace to make a pilgrimage to the most northerly Parish of the Diocese of Ferns reaching northwards into County Wicklow, the Garden of Ireland.  We followed in the footsteps of St. Patrick, St. Brigid and St. Mogue.  St. Brigid, to whom the Parish Church is dedicated, also has two Holy Wells in her honour in the Parish.  Several monuments to the men of 1798 are to be found in the Parish, including the graves of brothers Philip and Patrick Leacy in the old graveyard at Preban, which some of the pilgrims visited.

Pilgrimage to St. Brigid's, Annacurra, Co. Wicklow

Your are cordially invited to join us for our first pilgrimage and Traditional Latin Mass of the new Year, the Year of Mercy, in St. Brigid's Parish Church, Annacurra, 3 km south of Aughrim, Co. Wicklow.  There is not, as Tom Moore's melody has it, in the wide world a valley so sweet as the vale of Avoca.  Set on the banks of the River Aughrim, a tributary of the Avoca River, Annacurra (or Annacurragh) possesses some of that sweetness in addition to charm of its own.  The lovely Church of St. Brigid celebrated its 150th year two years ago and this Saturday - Saturday, 23rd January, at 12 noon - it will host a Traditional Latin Mass for the first time in goodness knows how long.

Built to the design of Richard Pearse Jr., son of the noted Wexford Architect, the foundation stone for the Church was laid in 1859 and the opening ceremony took place on St. Patrick's Day, 1864.  The beautiful East Window depicting Saints Brigid, Patrick and Columba, was designed by Pugin and Ashlin, executed by McCann's of Middle Abbey Street, Dublin, and installed for the opening of the Church.  The bell was installed a year later and the organ in 1867.

Our Lady, Star of the Sea, Riverchapel

I took a few additional interior photos of the Church in Riverchapel before and after the beautiful Latin Mass that we had there in March.  The Diocese of Ferns is blessed with many beautiful Churches and doubly blessed that many of them survived the destruction of the last 50 years.  One of the most precious, since precious things come in small packages, is the Church of Our Lady, Star of the Sea, Riverchapel, which is the Church of the seaside holiday destination of Courtown Harbour, Co. Wexford.  One of the most notable features of the Churches in the Diocese of Ferns is the fine stained glass and Riverchapel is no exception.

I won't repeat the great work already done on Buildings of Ireland or the online Dictionary of Irish Architecture that you can read for yourself through those links.