Celtic and Old English Saints 12 October
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* St. Fiech of Sletty
* St. Wilfrith of York
* St. Edwin of Northumbria
* St. Ethelburga of Barking
* St. Mobhi of Glasnevin
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St. Mobhi of Glasnevin
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Another one of the Twelve Apostles of Ireland, Saint Mobhi of Glasnevin,
famed as the founder of a monastic school and as a teacher of some famous
saints, among them Saints Columba and Saint Cannice, whose feast falls the
day before that of his former master. Saint Mobhi is famous also for having
the rather curious adjective 'clarinech' appended to his name, this is
usually translated as 'flat-faced'. The earliest Irish calendar, the
Martyrology of Oengus, attempted to explain why. The entry for today reads:
12. Declare Fiacc and Fiachra, at the same time --
great is that treasure!
my Bi, strong that triumph!
that fair flatfaced one.
The notes for this entry read:
Mobi, i.e. of Glasnevin on the brink of the river Liffey on the north side.
Mobi son of Beoan, of Corco tri of the Luigni of Connaught. Uaine,
Findbarr's daughter, was his mother. In Cell maic Taidg was he conceived and
brought forth, and of a dead woman he was begotten.
Table-faced was he, for the earth pressed him down, so that he was one flat
board. Mobi the Table-faced of Glasnevin in (the country occupied by) the
Danes. Berchan was Mobi's name. Beoaith son of Senach was his father's name,
and Huanir the Fair, daughter of Finnbarr, his mother's name. Mobi etc.
The later Martyrology of Marianus O'Gorman records the saint as 'Clarenech
('table-face'), from Glasnevin in Fingal on the river Liffey's brink, on the
north side, and Berchan was another name of his.'
The 17th-century Martyrology of Donegal refers to Saint Mobhi's famous
Glasnevin foundation and to some of its notable students:
MOBHI CLAIRENECH, [Abbot], of Glas Naoidhen in Fine-Gall, on the brink of
the river Life, on the north side; and Bearchan was another name for him.
The year of the Lord when he resigned his spirit was 544. He was of the race
of Eochaidh Finn Fuathairt, of whom Brighit is descended ; and Uanfinn,
daughter of Finnbarr, was his mother. The Life of Colum Cille, chap. 35,
states that Colum Cille went to Glas Naoidhen, where Mobhi Clairenech was
with two score and ten persons at his school ; and among them were
Cainneach, Ciaran of Cluain, and Comgall ; and after the dispersion of the
school, Mobhi requested of Colum Cille not to accept of any land till he
should give him leave. The same life states, chap. 39, that when Colum Cille
was at Doire, where the king of Erin, Aedh, son of Ainmire, was, Aedh
offered that town to Colum Cille, and that Colum refused to accept of the
town because he had not the permission of Mobhi, and that on his coming
forth from the town, two of Mobhi's people met him, bringing the girdle of
Mobhi with them to him, after Mobhi's own death, together with his
permission to him to accept of land. When Colum received the girdle he said
:
" Good was the man who had this girdle," said he, "for it was never opened
for gluttony, nor closed on falsehood." On which occasion he composed the
quatrain :
"Mobhi's girdle, [Mobhi's girdle],
Nibhdar sibhne im lo,
It was not opened for satiety,
It was not closed on a lie."
In his classic work on the monastic schools of Ireland, Archbishop John
Healy recounts the time spent by Saint Columba at Glasnevin:
It was the custom in those days for the students to visit the various saints
of Erin, who were celebrated for holiness and learning; and so we find that
Columba, when he had finished his studies under Finnian of Clonard, directed
his steps to the school of another great master of the spiritual life, St.
Mobhi Clarainech of Glasnevin.
The students' cells at Glasnevin were situated on one side of the River
Tolka, and Mobhi's church was on the other, at or near the spot where the
Protestant church now stands. The light-footed youngsters of those days,
however, found no difficulty in crossing the rapid and shallow stream at
ordinary times. But when the river was swollen with heavy rains, it was no
easy task to breast the flood ; yet such was Columba's zeal in the service
of God that on one such occasion, to his master's admiration and surprise,
he crossed the angry torrent, that he might be present as usual at the
exercises in the church. " May God be praised," said Columba, when he had
crossed safely over, "and deliver us from these perils in future." It is
said that his prayer was heard ; and that all the cells, with their
occupants, were suddenly transferred to the other side of the stream, and
remained there ever after.
Columba had for companions at Glasnevin St. Cannech, St. Ciaran, and St.
Comgall-and during their entire lives a tender and ardent friendship united
these holy men together. A pestilence which broke out in a.d. 544, and of
which St. Ciaran appears to have died, scattered the holy disciples of St.
Mobhi's School ; so Columba resolved to return home to his native territory.
Insula Sanctorum et Doctorum or Ireland's Ancient Schools and Scholars by
the Most Rev. John Healy (6th edition, Dublin, 1912),296-297.
http://www.archive.org/details/insulasanctorume00heal
These Lives are archived at:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/celt-saints
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