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Classic Studies on the Ancient Irish church offers a wealth of perspectives on the history of the early Irish Church and the lives of its saints. It offers valuable insight from noted nineteenth- and twentieth-century Celtic scholars and historians, such as Charles Plummer and Whitley Stokes, along with translations of Lives of Irish saints into Latin, Irish, Middle Irish, and English. The collection brings together fact and legend, poetry and prose, and historical and modern thought, delving into the past to illuminate the storied history of Christianity’s beginnings in Ireland.
In his preface to The Ancient Irish Church, John Healy states that “Ireland retained rites and ceremonies and forms of government long after they had ceased to exist in every other country.” He presents this volume as a sketch of church practice drawn from factual histories, rather than from the legends and tales surrounding figures like St. Patrick. Healy covers early Christianity through the Anglo-Norman invasion and touches on St. Patrick and other saints, the ministry of women, points of difference between Ireland and Rome, and more.
John Healy (born 1850) was a historian and antiquarian. He was archdeacon of Meath, and rector of Kells from 1887 to 1917. He also wrote Historical Guide to Kells-Ceannannus Mor-County Meath.
Martin W. Foye found the history of the early Irish church interesting because of its long opposition to the Roman Catholic Church, giving it what he saw as 1,000 years of simple, fresh, and sacred space for Christianity to flourish apart from Roman influence. Foye delivers this volume in two parts—first, the historical facts; second, the doctrine and religion of the early Irish church.
Martin W. Foye was born in 1803. He was the incumbent of St. Bartholomew’s parish, Birmingham, and the author of Romish Rites, Offices, and Legends: or, Authorised Superstitions and Idolatries of the Church of Rome.
This volume presents several essays by Patrick Francis Moran on the origin of the Irish church. Moran illustrates that the church, after years of persecution, came back full circle to its original position in relation to the Church of Rome, returning to the doctrines held in the earliest ages. Moran outlines modern theories regarding St. Patrick and discusses the sentiments of the early Irish church regarding Rome, its teachings on the Eucharist, its devotion to the Virgin Mary, and more.
Patrick Francis Moran (1830–1911) was born in Ireland and eventually became archbishop of Sydney and the first Australian cardinal. He studied at the Pontifical Irish College in Rome and later became its vice-rector. He was professor of Scripture at Clonliffe College, Dublin. He became bishop of Osssory, Ireland in 1872. He was sent to Australia in 1884 and made cardinal-priest of Australia in 1885. Among his many works are History of the Catholic Archbishops of Dublin and a volume of poems entitled Fragmentary Thoughts.
The Latin and Irish Lives of Ciaran offers translations by renowned Irish archaeologist Stewart Macalister of four accounts of the life of Ciaran of Clonmacnois. Macalister believed that Ciaran was the most important native Irish saint, apart from St. Brigit of Kildare. This volume includes a harmony of the four Lives of St. Ciaran, the first, second, and third Latin Lives of St. Ciran, the Irish Life of St. Ciaran, annotations to the Lives, and the Latin text of the second Life.
Stewart Macalister (1870–1950), or Robert Alexander Stewart Macalister, was an Irish archaeologist. He studied at Cambridge University and was appointed director of excavations of the Palestine Exploration Fund in 1901, taking charge of the excavations at Gezer, Palestine. In 1909 he returned to Ireland to become professor of Celtic archaeology at University College, Dublin. In 1910, he was elected to the Royal Irish Academy. He was president of the Royal Irish Academy from 1926 to 1931, and of the Royal Society of Antiquaries of Ireland from 1924 to 1928. He excavated at Tara, and wrote many translations of Irish myths and legends that are still used today. He retired in 1943. Some of his works include Tara, a Pagan Sanctuary of Ancient Ireland and The Secret Languages of Ireland.
Brendaniana is “a miscellaneous collection of ‘matters and things’ relating to St. Brendan, the patron of the dioceses of Clonfert and Ardfert,” writes Denis O’Donoghue, parish priest of St. Brenden’s at Ardfert. O’Donoghue translates several valuable texts relating to St. Brendan, including the widely popular “Tale of the Sea” and the Latin Life of the saint.
Denis O’Donoghue (1825–1901) was parish priest of Ardfert and Kilmoili in County Kerry for 35 years. He championed the interests of tenant farmers, earning the animosity of local land agents. He was interested in antiquities and occasionally presented papers for journals such as the Cork Journal.
The Tripartite Life of Patrick was compiled by “the greatest of the Celtologists,” Whitley Stokes. This renowned Celtic scholar translated the Life of St. Patrick and other documents relating to the saint.
Whitley Stokes (1830–1909) was a Celtic scholar. He graduated from Trinity College, Dublin, in 1851. Stokes had an aptitude for languages, but became a lawyer in 1855. He moved to India in 1862, working as a lawyer and civil servant. He received the Order of the Star of India in 1887 and the Order of the Indian Empire in 1889, and was an honorary fellow of Jesus College, Oxford, and a fellow of the British Academy. Among his works are Three Irish Glossaries and The Anglo-Indian Codes.
This volume of The Tripartite Life of Patrick contains notes and documents concerning St. Patrick, as well as supplemental texts and indexes.
Whitley Stokes (1830–1909) was a Celtic scholar. He graduated from Trinity College, Dublin, in 1851. Stokes had an aptitude for languages, but became a lawyer in 1855. He moved to India in 1862, working as a lawyer and civil servant. He received the Order of the Star of India in 1887 and the Order of the Indian Empire in 1889, and was an honorary fellow of Jesus College, Oxford, and a fellow of the British Academy. Among his works are Three Irish Glossaries and The Anglo-Indian Codes.
This volume, originally a private printing by renowned Celtic scholar Whitley Stokes, contains three Middle Irish homilies transcribed from a fifteenth-century manuscript describing the lives of St. Patrick, St. Brigit, and St. Columba. This volume also includes indexes of local names, tribes, races, and rare words.
Whitley Stokes (1830–1909) was a Celtic scholar. He graduated from Trinity College, Dublin, in 1851. Stokes had an aptitude for languages, but became a lawyer in 1855. He moved to India in 1862, working as a lawyer and civil servant. He received the Order of the Star of India in 1887 and the Order of the Indian Empire in 1889, and was an honorary fellow of Jesus College, Oxford, and a fellow of the British Academy. Among his works are Three Irish Glossaries and The Anglo-Indian Codes.
Charles Plummer wrote the Lives of Irish Saints as supplemental texts to two volumes of Latin Lives published earlier. This volume contains 17 Irish Lives, including “Betha Abáin,” “Betha Brenainn Clúana Ferta,” and “Indarba Mochuda A Rraithin.”
Charles Plummer (1851–1927) was an English historian. He was fellow and chaplain of Corpus Christi College, Oxford, and held an honorary doctorate of divinity from Durham College. He delivered the Ford Lectures at Oxford University in 1901, and he edited several works, including Bede.
This volume contains English translations of the 17 Lives published in volume 1, as well as some general notes, indexes, and addenda.
Charles Plummer (1851–1927) was an English historian. He was fellow and chaplain of Corpus Christi College, Oxford, and held an honorary doctorate of divinity from Durham College. He delivered the Ford Lectures at Oxford University in 1901, and he edited several works, including Bede.
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Matt Smith
4/14/2021