Hi Pete,

ch 19 of the Life of Fintan from the Codex Kilkenniensis (Plummer ii, 
104-5) tells how a holy bishop named Brandubh went to Fintan in order 
to become a monk.  He found him at the monastery called "Achadh 
Firghlais" (which Plummer glosses as Aketh Arclayss), among the 
people U í Deona (? lit, Hua Deona--I'm not familiar with that name), 
on the eastern bank of the river Barrow.  Fintan greeted him 
joyously, and Brandubh told him he had come to live out the rest of 
his life at  his famous monastery Cluain-Eidhnech (Clonenagh, in Co 
Laois).  Fintan responded that he would rather the bishop enter the 
less austere monastery of Achadh Firghlais.  The bishop agreed, since 
he had offered himself both to the saint and to God.  Yet he asked 
one thing of him, that he not live much longer than the st, should 
the st die first.  The request was of course granted, and three years 
later Fintan died at Clonenagh.  When Brandubh heard of his death, he 
told his fellow monks that his own death was imminent.  Two or three 
weeks later (mss differ), the bishop's minister had a dream of seven 
shining men dressed in white coming to the window and calling the 
bishop to come outside, since God has sent for his soul and the 
promise was being fulfilled.  Needless to say, when the minister 
awoke, the bishop was dead.  Brandubh is also immediately recognized 
as a st by his brethren.

The Codex Salmanticensis (published in Heist, Vitae Sanctorum 
Hiberniae) contains two lives of Fintan; the first tells the same 
story as above, although here the minister is said to have been taken 
in ecstasy, nothing is said about Brandubh being a saint, and the 
monastery is rendered Aketh Harclayss (Heist, 150-1). It's also 
mentioned in the Life of Columba of T ír Dá Glas (same ms, p 230). 
One time, during one of his many visits with an angel, Columba was 
told that God will give three orders of people to him, people who by 
themselves do not deserve eternal life but through Columba's merits 
will enter heaven without good works.  The third group stretches from 
Clonenagh to "Aiketh Arglass."  Columba was the first abbot of 
Clonenagh (and Agha?), but later wandered and eventually settled at 
Terryglass; you can explore the connection further in Gwynn and 
Hadcock.

The Lives haven't been translated, but you might surprise yourself 
with how much Latin you've retained, especially since now you have 
the basic gist of the reference.  It's not long--a good-sized 
paragraph.

I see that your primary fascination is with the site itself; if an 
archeologist couldn't be of much help, I'm not sure what use my 
suggestions might be, but AA published a marvelous traveling book for 
Ireland, maybe back in the 60s, which is extremely useful in finding 
out about the various ruins and virtually anything else that every 
town and pretty much every 5-mile stretch of road has to offer.  Of 
course the ones they publish now are more or less useless, unless 
you're only interested in getting from point A to point B.  If you 
happen to discover how to procure your own copy of this invaluable AA 
guide, please share; I always have to borrow my aunt's.  Another 
thing you might try is getting in good with the local historian, or 
if worse comes to worse the tourist office.  You could also try UCG 
and UCC, which are strong in early medieval Irish history.  You might 
also like to check out 
http://www.fortunecity.com/bally/kilkenny/2/iremaps.htm for some 
background information.  A quick search didn't turn up much, but 
Kilkenny's not too far away, so maybe they'd know more about this 
particular site.

If you're also interested in the saints, I might be able to be of 
more help, but I knew nothing of this site until your post--I just 
happen to have Plummer and Heist to hand.

Maeve


>As a usual lurker, with no academic credentials  at all in the subjects of
>religion or medieval history - just a retired, motivated engineer - I
>herewith delurk (for a while, anyway).  I have been visiting and
>photographing Ireland for several years.  I try to do my research in an
>engineeringly fashion.  I have dozens of Irish history, archaeology, etc.,
>books......plus have absorbed information from well over a hundred
>interlibrary loan books, in order to be prepared for my usual 2-4 week, 2000
>driving miles trips.  Usually in September, but I will soon be doubling the
>frequency with Spring trips, too.  My main interest is photographing (B&W)
>early Christian sites (together with some scenic stuff and some more recent
>Romanesque, etc., material).
>
>I know that cross-posting is frowned-on, so I am engaging in what I would
>call seriatim-posting.  My first request for information on the
>above-mentioned church was through CELTIC-L, but have received no
>bites.......on this particular subject.  Here's a bit from that letter:
>
>  >>>>>>>>> Two years ago, I encountered a wonderful little church (ruin) a
>couple of miles east of Leighlinbridge (Carlow), and fell in love with the
>place.  Now I am making this place a particular focus of my obsession.
>That's part of the reason for my joining so many lists.  According to Gwynn &
>Hadcock, Agha had Fintan (Munnu?, probably) as its abbot in the 6th century.
>The church (probably an earlier one on the site) was destroyed in a raid by
>the Osraigi in 864.  I've also read it was the Norse (intermingled w/ the
>Osraigi?).  Lewis, in his 1837 Topographical Dictionary of Ireland, says it
>was the Danes in 864.  Of course, he also called the place Achad-finglass,
>while G&H called it Achad-urglais.  G&H give references - - - Acta
>Sanctorum....Hiberniae (354) compiled by John Colgan in 1645 (I haven't
>checked Amazon.com) and Vitae Sanctorum Hiberniae, ed. by Plummer 1910
>(ii.104).  I may be able to get the Plummer by interlibrary loan, but I would
>like to find these on the net, if I can.  I don't live near any cities, so my
>access is limited.  I have a lot of sites bookmarked, including the CELT
>site, but haven't had any luck with any documents I'm searching for, except
>the Annals of the 4M's.  The website doesn't seem to encourage printing-out
>of the pages, so that's a drag.
>
>I've thought that I could get more information about Agha church from data on
>the Life of Fintan Munnu, but have only gotten scraps.  Kenney, in his
>"Sources", mentions three Codices....Salmanticensis and Kilkenniensis
>Collection, in the Acta Santorum, the Insulensis Collection.......and the
>Vita Fintani original source.  My high school latin from long ago
>is.....that's right, long gone.  One final comment from G&H - - - Connmhach,
>was lector and abbot of Agha, and was slain in 1017.
>
>My biggest problem is that I'm unable to clarify my problem.  Basically, I
>just want to get as much information about this site as I can.  Any and all
>help will be greatly appreciated (I've GOT to get more focused!). <<<<<<<<<<<
>
>True to my American engineering background, I don't speak or read any of the
>languages that might be of help to me in this matter.  Spanish?  So I would
>need translated texts of the above documents.  I don't think my high-school
>Latin from the 40's would be of much help.  Regarding the Plummer book
>(above), I have been concerned whether that was a translation or not.  The
>same would apply to other documents, of course.
>
>I have a feeling that I might end-up in an interdisciplinary black hole here.
>  I have discussed my obsession with an archaeologist in Ireland, and she told
>me I needed to talk to historians.  Historians tell me this is more of a
>religious subject.  My main problem seems to be that I want to assimilate
>information from various sources to give me a more thorough understanding of
>this magnificent ruin and its place in history/religion/etc.  Does anyone
>have any ideas on how I should proceed?
>
>Pete Schermerhorn, in the glorious Berkshire hills of western Massachusetts