238

BAITHEN

BAITHEN

boheen, or Inishboyne, to which it has given itsname, in the parish of Dunganstown, barony ofArklow, county of Wicklow” (Ibid. pp. 297-8).Colgan thinks he was a disciple of St. Ciaran,who had to perform several miracles on accountof St. Baithen’s incaution, and thus must haveflourished about a.d. 550 ( Acta SS . p. 369 textand n. 2 ; p.463, c. 36); but Todd (ut supra)says he “ is supposed to have flourished about theclose of the sixth or beginning of the seventh cen-tury. The exact date of his obit has not been pre-served in the Irish annals.” (Four Masters , byO’Donovan, i. p. 374, n. u .)

(4) Ab. of Iona—June 9. He was son ofBrendan, and pupil, cousin, and successor of St.Columba at Iona. He was one of the twelvecompanions of St. Columba who came with himfrom Ireland; and, though sent at times on sucha mission as to be Superior of the monastery ofCampus-Lunge, in Ethica, now Tiree, or to takecharge of the monks at their labours at home(see Lanigan, Fed. Mist. Ir. ii. 162), he was alwaysclosely associated with St. Columba till hisdeath, when he became his successor, as markedout by the words of the dying saint: “ Here Imust stop—at the end of this page (in transcrib-ing the Psalter): what follows let Baithen write”(Colgan, Acta SS. p. 336, c. 5 ; p. 369 ; p. 588;Ussher, de Brit. Eccl. Prim ., Publ. 1639, pp.694 sq.) He is called “ S. Columbae alumnumet successorem ” by St. Adamnan (S. Col. iii.c. 2), and i( familiarissimum discipulum,” by Not-ker Balbulus (iii. 22). He is also known asComin. (See Ussher, ut supra, p. 694, and Colgan,Acta SS. p. 588, and Tr. Thaum. p. 488, n. 6 .) Thecurious story of the three empty chairs shownto him in heaven, which were prepared for St.Ciaran, St. Columba, and St. Baithen himself, isgiven in Colgan (Tr. Thaum. p. 402, Fifth Life ofSt. Columba, c. 81); Mart. Doneg. by Todd andReeves, p. 163; Bishop Forbes, Kal. of Scott.Saints , p. 274.) He ruled four years (Dr.Reeves says three) in Iona after St. Columba’sdeath, and resigned his soul to heaven onthe same day of the same month in whichSt. Columba expired (June 6), a.d. 600. (Colgan,Acta SS. p. 408, c. 3; p. 449, col. 2 ; Tr.Thaum. p. 18, n. 33 ; p. 480, c. 3; p. 498, col. 2;Mart. Doneg. p. 165; Bp. Forbes, ut supra;Lanigan, Eccl. Mist. Ir. ii. pp. 250, 259.) ButUssher (de Brit. Eccl. Prim. Dubl. 1639,p 962) fixes his obit- at a.d. 598, aDd is fol-lowed by Dr. Grub (see his useful note inEccl. Mist, of Scotland , i. p. 70), while theBollandist Acta SS. (Jun. tom. ii. p. 234) pre-fers to put it in 601. It is entered in the FourMasters at 595, and in the Annals of Ulster at597. He was son of Brendan, St. Columba’s uncle,and born, according to Tighernach, in 536, and“ his principal church was Teach-Baithaein, nowTaughboyne, in the barony of Raphoe, and countyof Donegal. It is stated in the Annals of Clonmac-noise, a.d. 596, that he died in the 66th year of hisage” (Four Masters , by O’Donovan, i. p. 221,n. J ). There is a curious story given by E. O’Curry(Led. on Manners and Cast. Anc. Ir., ed. bySullivan, iii. pp. 32-3) with regard to his earlyeducation.

For his ancient life see Bolland. Acta SS. Jun.tom. ii. p. 235, in which are some interestingtouches.

The Felire gives—

“ Baetini ard AlnpjleacbColuim cille Caindleack.”

—(See Ulster Journal of Arckaeol. vol. ii. pp.239, 240; Todd, St. Patrick , p. 299; .Bp.Forbes, Kal. of Scott. Saints, p. 274; Dr.Reeves, Adamnan , p. 372, etal. in Index.) In p.182 Dr. Reeves gives also an account of his kindredto St. Columba, the coincidence of their festivals,and the Acts of St. Baithen, putting his obit inA.D. 599 and age 66 years. For an account ofSt. Baithen and his peculiarly gentle dispositionsee Montalembert (Monks of the West , Edinb.iii. pp. 213-5).

( 5 ) Baotan or Boetan Mac Ua Corbmaic, Ab-bot of Cluain-mic-Nois, A.D. 663 (Mart. Doneg.by Todd and Reeves, p. 61)—March 1. Mart.Tallaaht calls him “ Baitanus Episc. Cluana ”(Kelly, Cal. of Ir. Saints, p. xvii), and Colgan(Acta SS. p. 437) says he died bishop there inA.D. 663 (compare Tr. Thaum. p. 377, n. 63 ). Hewas descended from an ancient Connaught family,and succeeded Aedlugh, son of Camman, in 651, asAbbot of Clonmacnoise, which is now called also“ The Seven Churches,” on the east bank of theShannon in King’s county. Colgan (Acta SS.p. 437) and Four Masters (by O’Donovan, atA.D. 663, p. 275) attach him by birth to the septof Conmaicne-mara, i.e. the inhabitants of Conne-mara, or the barony of Ballynahinch in the north-west of the province of Galway.

(6) Baetan of Monu—March 23. Mart.Doneg. (by Todd and Reeves, p. 85) says: “ Thismay be the Baetan, brother of Corbmac andEimhin, who are of the race of Eoghan-mor, sonof Oilioll Olum: ” and Colgan (Acta SS. p.728) gives on this day Boedan, Ab. of Killboe-dain, son of Eugenius, and one of the six brothersof St. Corbmac. According to this last account,he was the sixth son, and followed his elderbrothers Corbmac and Diermit into the scene oftheir missionary labours in Lethconn or thenorthern half of Ireland. He afterwards took uphis abode and built his church at Killboedaiu,afterwards called Killoscoba or Killoseda, in Da-laradia, under the patronage of the three noblefamilies of Cinel-Decil, Claun-Scoba (Clann-Serlo),and Silmiridhin. At first they devoted housesand lands to St. Baithen, but the first-namedfamily afterwards transferred their affections toSt. Cuan and St. Colman, and at last the placewas not only deserted but had its name changed.St. Baithen perhaps returned to his native pro-vince of Munster, and died Ab. of Moin (Monen-sis) or Moanmore. He is supposed to have livedabout the beginning of the sixth century. (SeeColgan, Acta SS. p. 728, and at p. 751 sq., inhis Life of St. Corbmac (March 26); Kelly, Gal.Ir. Saints, p. 103. On Shilvodanor Kill-bocdain,see Reeves, Eccl. Antiq. Down and Connor, pp.302-3.)

( 7 ) Son of Maonan, of Lannleire—June 18.Mart. Tallaght gives “ Furodrain ocus Baithin,”and Mart. Doneg. has also this saint along withhis brother Furadhran, Ab. of Lannleire, now theold church of Lyn, on the east side of LoughEnnell, in the barony of Fartullagh, and t*o.Westmeath (Four Masters, by O’Donovan, i. p.342, n. w ).

( 8 ) Baitan or Boetan of Cluain-an-Dcbhair,