Who Was St. Declan?
St. Declan, a prince of the Decies
Kingdom in Munster, was born in the 5th century. He
was baptised by a priest named Colman, later to become St. Colman. When
Declan was seven years old he studied under a sage called Dioma. This
training continued for many years until Declan, taking with him some of his
disciples, went to Rome
for further instruction in Christianity.
While in Rome
the Pope consecrated Declan. Declan had a strong desire to return to Ireland
and, according to legend, he had in his possession a miraculous black bell
with which he summoned an empty vessel to carry him on his journey. The bell
was placed in a rock and when Declan prayed the rock floated out to sea. He
followed it and eventually, it led him to shore at Ardmore, Co. Waterford. There Declan
worked conscientiously among the people and built a Church.
While returning to Ireland
it is reported that Declan met St. Patrick. Declan and three other Bishops
– Ibar, Cieran and Ailbe were evangelising in Ireland when St. Patrick arrived
here. Declan did not confine his work to Ardmore and the Déise region but he also
traveled further afield and especially to Cashel.
One of the most remarkable groups of ancient ecclesiastical remains in
Ireland can be seen today
in Declan’s well-loved Ardmore – a
beautiful and perfect Round
Tower, a singularly
interesting ruined Cathedral, the ruins of a second Church beside a holy
well, a primitive oratory and some ogham-inscribed pillar stones.
Declan is an outstanding example of a Saint whose cult has not only
survived, but has recently shown a marked revival. This is demonstrated by
pilgrims, visitors and local people who are proud of St. Declan and the
strong faith that they have inherited.
Here is another version of
the story of St Declan…….
Late in the fourth century St.
Declan was born somewhere between Cappoquin and Lismore. Several townslands
claim his birthplace, Kilcolman and Toor especially. Descended from the
Princes of the Decies, Declan was baptised by a monk called Coleman, who
later sent him to the school of Dioma
where he studied many subjects [ including religion ].He travelled to the
Continent to complete his education and he was ordained in Gaul or modern France,
just, as tradition tells us, was St. Patrick.
When he returned to his own country
of Na Deise Declan commenced preaching Christianity and among his disciples
were Machaig of Kilmacleague, near
Tramore, and Ciaran who lived in the mountains between Knockmealdown and the
Galtee mountains. While successful with the ordinary people, Declan made
little headway with the Gaelic chieftains, so he called an assembly of the
people of the Deise and this resulted
in the King of na Deise being deposed and Fearghail MacCormaic being voted
King in his place.
Declan’s first monastery was
at Tubrid before he moved to Ardmore,
where a large monastery and school developed under his guidance. Such was its
fame later that scholars and students from all parts of Ireland and beyond swelled the
community. Besides the monastery, the school and accommodation for the
students, a fine Cathedral was built at Ardmore,
and from here Declan held power over all na Deise except the environs and
city of Waterford.
Thus when St. Patrick arrived in Ireland
in 423 to bring Christianity to the wild men and women of Hibernia
he was surprised to find his beloved religion already being practiced here.
Even more surprising he found that there were four Bishops already preaching
the Good News - Ailbhe, Ciaran, Declan and Ibar.
In the life of St. Declan is a
description of him travelling from his monastery at Tubrid – situated
between Sliabh Crot and Slieve gCua to meet St.Patrick at Mullaghneony near
Clonmel. Here St.Patrick appointed Declan bishop of all Na Deise and made him
Patron of the diocese for all time. In a life of St.Declans, preserved in St.
Isidore’s College in Rome,
St.Patrick is quoted as saying: “Deaglan Padraig na nDesie - Na Deise
ag Deaglain go Beo”.
Some years later when Declan
travelled to meet St.Patrick at Mullaghneony again he covered a different
route from Ardmore
through Ballinamult and Modeligo. Traces of this route still remain and it is
called ‘The Path of St.Patrick’s Cow’as opposed to the
first route known as St.Declans Path - part of which has been mapped and
sign-posted from the Ardmore
end. Tradition tells us that St.Declan laboured long and fruitfully for the lord
and he reputed to have travelled as far as Wales
and Italy.
The huge St.Declans stone on the beach at Ardmore
“is believed to have floated from Rome
- after the boat in which St.Declan was travelling - bearing a large bell
which the Saint had forgotten”. (The Holy Well Tradition by S.O Cadhla
).The mark of the now lost bell is said to visible on the top of the rock.
During the Pattern of Ardmore,
celebrated on 24 July, the date of St. Declans death, pilgrims try to crawl
under St.Declans stone as their chief penitential exercises. Unrepentant
sinners are said to have great difficulty in squeezing through this
‘eye of a needle’ as mentioned in the gospel. Hopefully other
‘rounds’ that are performed around St.Declans Chapel, Grave,
Rock, Skull or Well can be sufficiently penitential.
Certainly the air of calm and
contemplation that embraces all the relics of St.Declans justifies a visit to
holy site at Ardmore.
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