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Declán of Ardmore (; ; ; died 5th century AD), also called Déclán, was an early Irish saint of the Déisi Muman, who was remembered for having converted the Déisi in the late 5th century and for having founded the monastery of Ardmore (''Ard Mór'') in what is now County Waterford.Johnston, "Munster, saints of (act. ''c''.450–''c''.700)." The principal source for his life and cult is a Latin ''Life'' of the 12th century. Like
Ailbe of Emly Saint Ailbe ( ; ), usually known in English as St Elvis (British/ Welsh), Eilfyw or Eilfw, was regarded as the chief 'pre-Patrician' saint of Ireland (although his death was recorded in the early 6th-century). He was a bishop and later saint. L ...
,
Ciarán of Saigir Ciarán of Saigir (; 5th century – ), also known as Ciarán mac Luaigne or Saint Kieran (), was one of the Twelve Apostles of Ireland and is considered the first saint to have been born in Ireland,''Catholic Online''St. Kieran/ref> a ...
and Abbán of Moyarney, Declán is presented as a
Munster Munster ( or ) is the largest of the four provinces of Ireland, located in the south west of the island. In early Ireland, the Kingdom of Munster was one of the kingdoms of Gaelic Ireland ruled by a "king of over-kings" (). Following the Nor ...
saint who preceded
Saint Patrick Saint Patrick (; or ; ) was a fifth-century Romano-British culture, Romano-British Christian missionary and Archbishop of Armagh, bishop in Gaelic Ireland, Ireland. Known as the "Apostle of Ireland", he is the primary patron saint of Irelan ...
in bringing Christianity to Ireland. He was regarded as a patron saint of the
Déisi The ''Déisi'' were a social class in Ireland between the ancient and early medieval period. The various peoples listed under the heading ''déis'' shared a similar status in Gaelic Ireland, and had little or no actual kinship, though they were ...
of East Munster.


Sources

The main source for Declán's life and cult is a Latin
Life Life, also known as biota, refers to matter that has biological processes, such as Cell signaling, signaling and self-sustaining processes. It is defined descriptively by the capacity for homeostasis, Structure#Biological, organisation, met ...
or ''vita'', which, however, survives only in a redaction of the late 12th century. It is witnessed by two manuscript texts which Charles Plummer has shown to derive from the same original: (1) Dublin, TCD, MS E.3.11 (dubbed T by Plummer), f. 66b-71d; and (2) a somewhat more damaged version in Dublin, Primate Marsh's Library, MS V.3.4 (Plummer's M), f. 101 ff. These two manuscripts are also collectively known as the Dublin Collection (or the ''Codex Kilkenniensis'', though the name is also used to refer to the Primate Marsh's Library manuscript only). In its received form, the ''Life'' leans heavily on the ''Life'' of St
Ailbe of Emly Saint Ailbe ( ; ), usually known in English as St Elvis (British/ Welsh), Eilfyw or Eilfw, was regarded as the chief 'pre-Patrician' saint of Ireland (although his death was recorded in the early 6th-century). He was a bishop and later saint. L ...
in the '' Codex Salmanticensis'', but earlier materials may have been incorporated. The introductory chapters draw on early Irish sagas, notably the origin legend of Déisi related in the '' Expulsion of the Déisi'' and the story of Lugaid Riab nDerg in '' Aided Meidbe'' and ''
Medb Medb (), later spelled Meadhbh (), Méabh(a) () and Méibh (), and often anglicised as Maeve ( ), is queen of Connacht in the Ulster Cycle of Irish mythology. Her husband in the core stories of the cycle is Ailill mac Máta, although she had ...
's Three Husbands''. Declán is emphatically designated as a bishop of the Déisi, which appears to echo the monastery's political ambitions in the 12th century when the Irish Church was reformed into a diocesan system following the
Synod of Rathbreasail A synod () is a council of a Christian denomination, usually convened to decide an issue of doctrine, administration or application. The word ''synod'' comes from the Ancient Greek () ; the term is analogous with the Latin word . Originally, ...
and
Synod of Kells The Synod of Kells (, ) took place in 1152, under the presidency of Giovanni Cardinal Paparoni, and continued the process begun at the Synod of Ráth Breasail (1111) of reforming the Irish church. The sessions were divided between the abbeys o ...
. Ardmore aspired to the status of
episcopal see An episcopal see is the area of a bishop's ecclesiastical jurisdiction. Phrases concerning actions occurring within or outside an episcopal see are indicative of the geographical significance of the term, making it synonymous with ''diocese'' ...
in the new diocese, but the privilege went instead to Lismore, founded by St Mochuda. Declán's Latin ''Life'' was later translated into Irish. This vernacular version, sometimes referred to as ''Betha Decclain'', is preserved in two classes of copies. The earliest of these is a copy made, with some revision, by
Mícheál Ó Cléirigh Mícheál Ó Cléirigh (), sometimes known as Michael O'Clery, was an Irish chronicler, scribe and antiquary and chief author of the ''Annals of the Four Masters'', assisted by Cú Choigcríche ÓCléirigh, Fearfeasa ÓMaol Chonaire, and Pe ...
in 1629 and catalogued as Brussels, Royal Library, MS 4190–4200. Ó Cléirigh reports that his ultimate source was an "old book" (''seinleabhar''), but his direct exemplar was a manuscript dated 1582, in the possession of Eochaidh Ui Ifernain (Eochy O'Heffernan).Power, ''Life of St. Declan of Ardmore'', pp. xxv–xxvi The two remaining copies are Dublin, Royal Irish Academy MS 23 M 50, pp. 109–120, in the hand of one John Murphy "na Raheenach" and dated 1740, and a further manuscript once in private possession. The exemplar which underlies either of these is itself an imperfectly transmitted text. Genealogies relevant to the saint are included in the '' Book of Leinster'', ''
An Leabhar Breac ('The Speckled Book'; Middle Irish: ), now less commonly ('Great Book of Dun Doighre') or possibly erroneously, ('The Speckled Book of the MacEgans'), is a medieval Irish vellum manuscript containing Middle Irish and Hiberno-Latin writings. ...
'', ''
Book of Ballymote The ''Book of Ballymote'' (, RIA MS 23 P 12, 275 foll.), was written in 1390 or 1391 in or near the town of Ballymote, now in County Sligo, but then in the tuath of Corann. According to David Sellar who was the Lord Lyon King of Arms in ...
'', and a gloss to '' Félire Óengusso''. and Rawlinson B 502.


Family background and career

It was through his father that Declán belonged to the royal dynasty of the Déisi Muman. The Latin ''Life'' names his father Erc(c), as do the ''Félire Óengusso'' and the genealogy in the Book of Ballymote, f. 231b. Variant traditions are recorded in the Book of Leinster (f. 348c) and the Book of Ballymote, f. 218b, which call his father Ernbrand, and in the Leabhar Breac (f. 15d), which calls him Ross (or Russ). The conflated version Ercbrand is found in Rawlinson B 502. Declán's mother Dethiden or Dethidin, as she is called in the Latin ''Life'' (§ 3), is not given any pedigree in the sources. Declán's birthplace is said to be Drumroe, near
Cappoquin Cappoquin (), also sometimes spelt Cappaquin, is a town in western County Waterford, Republic of Ireland, Ireland. It is on the Munster Blackwater, Blackwater river at the junction of the N72 road (Ireland), N72 national secondary road and the R ...
(western County Waterford).Breen, "Declan (Déclán)." In the Latin ''Life'', Declán first embarks on a journey to Rome, where he studied and was ordained bishop by the Pope. At Rome, he meets his fellow countryman St Ailbe of Emly, and on returning to Ireland, he meets
Saint Patrick Saint Patrick (; or ; ) was a fifth-century Romano-British culture, Romano-British Christian missionary and Archbishop of Armagh, bishop in Gaelic Ireland, Ireland. Known as the "Apostle of Ireland", he is the primary patron saint of Irelan ...
. Throughout the text, Declán recognises the supreme authority of both saints and with Patrick, he comes to an arrangement about the sphere of their mission in Ireland. On St Patrick's instructions, Declán founds the monastery of Ardmore (Irish ''Ard Mór''), which lies near the Irish coast, in the southeast of the kingdom of the Déisi Muman, and having obtained Patrick's blessing, goes on to convert the Déisi to Christianity. The span of Declán's lifetime and career is extended in another chapter (§ 15), which makes him a contemporary of
Saint David David (; ; ) was a Welsh Christian prelate who served as Bishop of Mynyw during the 6th century. He is the patron saint of Wales. David was a native of Wales, and tradition has preserved a relatively large amount of detail about his life. ...
of Wales in the 6th century. Likewise, the even later saint Ultan of Ardbraccan (d. 655 x 657) is presented as Declán's pupil. The ''Lives'' also relates that the saint later paid a visit to the Déisi of Mide/Meath, where the King of Tara welcomed him and granted him land for the purpose of founding a "monastery of canons". The monastery founded there became known as Cill Décláin (Killegland,
Ashbourne, County Meath Ashbourne ()Placenames Database of Ireland
(see archival records)
is a town in County Meat ...
).


The pre-Patrician saints of Munster

Declan is one of four Munster saints who had ''Lives'' written for them claiming that they founded monasteries and preached the Gospel in Munster before their younger contemporary Saint Patrick ever set foot in Ireland. These bishop saints, known since the 17th century as ''quattuor sanctissimi episcopi'', also included
Ailbe of Emly Saint Ailbe ( ; ), usually known in English as St Elvis (British/ Welsh), Eilfyw or Eilfw, was regarded as the chief 'pre-Patrician' saint of Ireland (although his death was recorded in the early 6th-century). He was a bishop and later saint. L ...
,
Ciarán of Saigir Ciarán of Saigir (; 5th century – ), also known as Ciarán mac Luaigne or Saint Kieran (), was one of the Twelve Apostles of Ireland and is considered the first saint to have been born in Ireland,''Catholic Online''St. Kieran/ref> a ...
and Abbán of Moyarney. The same claim was apparently made for Íbar of Beggery Island, according to the ''Life'' of St Abbán, which identifies him as Abbán's uncle and teacher, but no separate ''Life'' survives which offers any information to this effect.Ó Riain-Raedel, "The question of the 'Pre-Patrician' saints of Munster", p. 19. The relevant ''Lives'' are all found in the so-called Dublin Collection (see above), which bears a stamp of editorial intervention. Their testimony, late though it seems, has often been treated in relation to the historical question of pre-Patrician Christianity in the south of Ireland. It has been argued that before the coming of Patrick, the south coast of Munster would have provided the most likely point of entry for the introduction of Christianity via Britain or via Gaul. The settlements of the Déisi and the
Uí Liatháin The Uí Liatháin () were an early kingdom of Munster in southern Ireland. They belonged the same kindred as the Uí Fidgenti, and the two are considered together in the earliest sources, for example '' The Expulsion of the Déisi'' (incidental ...
in southwest Wales, as evidenced by the distribution of ogam stones, provided an important connection between Britain and Ireland. A key aspect of this overseas link, the import of slaves, usually British Christians, by Irish raiders would have directly exposed Munster to the influence of Christianity.Ó Riain-Raedel, "The question of the 'Pre-Patrician' saints of Munster", p. 18. Further, Munster, lying opposite to Gaul, would have represented a first destination for Irish trading connections with the Continent. In the context of the wine trade, this is in some way corroborated by the archaeological record for pottery in Munster settlements. The credit traditionally given to Saint Patrick for bringing Christianity to the island appears to owe much to the propaganda of one particular foundation. As early as the 7th century,
Armagh Armagh ( ; , , " Macha's height") is a city and the county town of County Armagh, in Northern Ireland, as well as a civil parish. It is the ecclesiastical capital of Ireland – the seat of the Archbishops of Armagh, the Primates of All ...
was busy bolstering its claim to the status of the principal house founded by St Patrick. By promoting the cult of the saint, which entailed that Patrick was propagated as the apostle and first bishop of the Irish, it sought to establish and control a network of religious houses throughout the country. The fact that a missionary sent by Rome, Palladius, had been active before St Patrick, in 431, possibly in Leinster, did not sit well with its agenda. In the writings of Armagh scholars, notably
Tírechán Tírechán was a 7th-century Ireland, Irish bishop from north Connacht, specifically the Killala Bay area, in what is now County Mayo. Background Based on a knowledge of Irish customs of the times, historian Terry O’Hagan has concluded that T ...
and Muirchú, Palladius' activities were therefore belittled as a failure, ignored or, as T.F. O'Rahilly famously argues in his hypothesis of the 'Two Patricks', silently conflated with those of Patrick. In Armagh historiography, the conversion of Munster became embodied in the story of the conversion of
Óengus mac Nad Froích Óengus mac Nad Froích (430-489) was an Eoganachta and the first Christian King of Munster The kings of Munster () ruled the Kingdom of Munster in Ireland from its establishment during the Irish Iron Age until the High Middle Ages. Accordi ...
by St Patrick at
Cashel Cashel (an Anglicised form of the Irish language word ''Caiseal'', meaning "stone fort") may refer to: Places in Ireland *Cashel, County Tipperary **The Rock of Cashel, an ancient, hilltop fortress complex for which Cashel is named ** Archbishop ...
, first told by
Tírechán Tírechán was a 7th-century Ireland, Irish bishop from north Connacht, specifically the Killala Bay area, in what is now County Mayo. Background Based on a knowledge of Irish customs of the times, historian Terry O’Hagan has concluded that T ...
and subsequently elaborated many times over. The ''Lives'' of Ailbe, Declán, Ciarán and Abbán in the Dublin Collection appear to reflect the need of the Munster houses to offer some counterweight against the Patrician dossier promoted by Armagh, even though they do not deny the national importance of Saint Patrick. Historian Richard Sharpe proposed the earlier ''Life'' of Ailbe in the ''Codex Salmanticensis'' was originally composed in the eighth century to further the cause of the Éoganacht church of Emly. In the same century, the ''Law of Ailbe'' (784) was issued, possibly in response to the ''Law of Patrick''. The Dublin Collection, however, goes further when it attributes to the saints an important pre-Patrician career. Pre-eminence is given to Ailbe, whose Dublin ''Life'' asserts that Munster was entrusted to him by St Patrick, while to similar effect, Ailbe is called a "second Patrick and patron of Munster" (''secundus Patricius et patronus Mumenie'') in Declán's ''Life''. Dagmar Ó Riain-Raedel has argued that this way of promoting Munster saints was anticipated in texts emanating from the '' Schottenklöster'' or Irish Benedictine monasteries of southern Germany, whose principal house was at
Regensburg Regensburg (historically known in English as Ratisbon) is a city in eastern Bavaria, at the confluence of the rivers Danube, Naab and Regen (river), Regen, Danube's northernmost point. It is the capital of the Upper Palatinate subregion of the ...
. Not only was there a strong Munster presence, but many such texts were written down in recognition of the generous donations received from the kings of Desmond and
Thomond Thomond ( Classical Irish: ; Modern Irish: ), also known as the Kingdom of Limerick, was a kingdom of Gaelic Ireland, associated geographically with present-day County Clare and County Limerick, as well as parts of County Tipperary around Nena ...
.Ó Riain-Raedel, "The question of the 'Pre-Patrician' saints of Munster", pp. 20–21. The most substantial achievement is the hagiographic compilation known as ''Magnum Legendarium Austriacum'' (''The Great Austrian Legendary''), begun sometime in the 1160s or 1170s. The prologue to a recension of St Patrick's ''Life'' preserved incomplete at Göttweig (Austria) asserts that disciples of one Mansuetus, an Irish
bishop of Toul The Diocese of Toul was a Roman Catholic diocese seated at Toul in present-day France. It existed from 365 until 1802. From 1048 until 1552 (''de jure'' until 1648), it was also a state of the Holy Roman Empire. History The diocese was erect ...
, had set themselves up as bishops in Ireland to prepare the way for St Patrick. In the mid-12th century, a ''Life'' was composed at Regensburg relating the life and miracles of Ailbe, under his German name St Albert. Ó Riain-Raedel connects this to the establishment of
Cashel Cashel (an Anglicised form of the Irish language word ''Caiseal'', meaning "stone fort") may refer to: Places in Ireland *Cashel, County Tipperary **The Rock of Cashel, an ancient, hilltop fortress complex for which Cashel is named ** Archbishop ...
as an archiepiscopal seat in 1111, because it was Ailbe, being the patron saint of the nearby foundation of Emly, who played a key role in advertising its new status.


Commemoration

According to his ''Life'', Declán is reposed in the Lord at his monastery in Ardmore and was subsequently buried there. His
feast day The calendar of saints is the traditional Christian method of organizing a liturgical year by associating each day with one or more saints and referring to the day as the feast day or feast of said saint. The word "feast" in this context does n ...
in the martyrologies is 24 July. A Middle Irish note added to the ''Félire Óengusso'', which is of no historical value, tells that Declán was responsible for introducing
rye Rye (''Secale cereale'') is a grass grown extensively as a grain, a cover crop and a forage crop. It is grown principally in an area from Eastern and Northern Europe into Russia. It is much more tolerant of cold weather and poor soil than o ...
(Irish ''secal'', from Latin ''secale'') into Ireland. Declán has enjoyed a steady cult in Waterford, where many church dedications still name him. Every year on his feast day, locals and people from the region celebrate his ''
pattern A pattern is a regularity in the world, in human-made design, or in abstract ideas. As such, the elements of a pattern repeat in a predictable manner. A geometric pattern is a kind of pattern formed of geometric shapes and typically repeated l ...
''. The pattern includes various devotional acts at sites associated with his life. The path walked by Declan from Ardmore to
Cashel, County Tipperary Cashel (; ) is a town in County Tipperary in Ireland. Its population was 4,422 in the 2016 census of Ireland, 2016 census. The town gives its name to the ecclesiastical province of ''Cashel''. Additionally, the ''cathedra'' of the Roman Cathol ...
has been restored as St Declan's Pilgrim Path, and an annual walk of the path, nicknamed the "Irish Camino", is organised from 24 to 28 July, beginning in 2013.''The Irish camino: walking in the footsteps of the saints''
''Irish Times'', 20 July 2013
A round tower still stands at the site of the saint's monastery at Ardmore as well as earlier ecclesiastical ruins, such as a stone oratory and a small stone church. The diocese of Ardmore and its episcopal church lasted until the 13th century.


Notes


Primary sources

*Latin ''Life'' of St Declán, ed. Charles Plummer, ''Vitae sanctorum Hiberniae''. Vol. 2. Oxford, 1910. pp. 32–59. Available from th
Internet Archive
*Irish ''Life'' of St Declán, ed. and tr. Rev. Patrick C. Power, ''Life of St. Declan of Ardmore, with an Introduction, Translation and Notes''. Irish Texts Society 16. London, 1914. Based on the Brussels MS, with variants from RIA MS 23 M 50
Edition
an
translation
transcribed at CELT. Another transcription can be found a

University of Virginia Library. *


Secondary sources

*Breen, Aidan.
St Declan (Déclán)
" ''Dictionary of Irish Biography''. Accessed: 28 Jan 2010. *Kelly, Fergus (2000). ''Early Irish Farming''. Early Irish Law Series IV. Dublin: DIAS. *Sharpe, Richard (1991). ''Medieval Irish Saints' Lives: An Introduction to 'Vitae Sanctorum Hiberniae. Oxford. *Johnston, Elva (2004).
Munster, saints of (act. ''c''.450–''c''.700)
" ''Oxford Dictionary of National Biography''. Oxford University Press, Sept 2004. Accessed: 14 Dec 2008. *Ó Cathasaigh, Tomás (1984). "The Déisi and Dyfed." ''Éigse'' 20. pp. 1–33. *Ó Riain-Raedel, Dagmar (1998). "The Question of the 'Pre-Patrician' Saints of Munster." In ''Early Medieval Munster. Archaeology, History and Society'', ed. M.A. Monk and J. Sheehan. Cork. 17–22.


Further reading

*Byrne, Francis John (1973). ''Irish kings and high-kings''. London. *Byrne, Francis John (1994–95). "Dercu: the feminine of Mocu." ''
Éigse ''Éigse: A Journal of Irish Studies'' is an academic journal devoted to the study of the Irish language and literature. It began in 1923 as part of an initiative by the Senate of the National University of Ireland to use the Adam Boyd Simpson F ...
'' 28. pp. 42–70. *De Paor, Liam (2003). ''Saint Patrick's World: The Christian Culture of Ireland's Apostolic Age''. Dublin: Four Courts Press. * *Ó Cadhla, Stiofán (2002). ''The Holy Well Tradition: The Pattern of St Declan, Ardmore, County Waterford, 1800–2000''. Maynooth Studies in Local History 45. Dublin: Four Courts Press. *Ó Conchúir, Dónal (2001). ''Ardmore and Lismore: the Christian Antiquities of Ardmore and the Legacy of the Lismore Monastery''. Waterford. *Ó Riain, Pádraig (2002). "Irish Saints' Cults and Ecclesiastical Families." In: ''Local Saints and Local Churches in the Early Medieval West'', ed. Alan Thacker and Richard Sharpe. Oxford. pp. 291–302.


External links

*
Rev. Power's translation is available online from Christian Classics Ethereal Library
{{DEFAULTSORT:Declan of Ardmore 5th-century Irish bishops 5th-century Christian saints 5th-century Irish abbots Irish Christian missionaries Medieval saints of Munster Canonizations by Pope Leo XIII People from County Waterford Dalcassians