Life of St. Declan of Ardmore and Life of St. Mochuda of Lismore
Religion
Life of St. Declan of Ardmore and Life of St. Mochuda of Lismore
Carthach, Saint, Bishop of Lismore, active 570-637 -- Legends; Declan, Saint, Bishop of Ardmore, active 6th century -- Legends
44. With this extraordinary miracle wrought by Declan we wish to
conclude our discourse. The number of miracles he wrought, but which are
not written here, you are to judge and gather from what we have written.
And we wish moreover that you would understand that he healed the infirm,
that he gave sight to the eyes of the blind, cleansed lepers, and gave
"their walk" to cripples; that he obtained hearing for the deaf, and that
he healed many and various diseases in many different places throughout
Ireland--(things) which are not written here because of their length and
because they are so numerous to record, for fear it should tire readers
to hear so much said of one particular person. On that account we shall
pass them by.
45. When Declan realised that his last days were at hand and that the
time remaining to him was very short he summoned to him his own spiritual
son, scil., MacLiag (residing) in the monastery which is on the eastern
side of the Decies close to the Leinstermen in order that, at the hour of
death, he might receive the Body and Blood of Christ and the Sacraments
of the Church from his hands. Thereupon he foretold to his disciples the
day of his death and he commanded them to bring him to his own city, for
it was not there he dwelt at the time but in a small venerable cell which
he had ordered to be built for him between the hill called Ardmore
Declain and the ocean--in a narrow place at the brink of the sea by which
there flows down from the hill above a small shining stream about which
are trees and bushes all around, and it is called Disert Declain. Thence
to the city it is a short mile and the reason why Declan used go there
was to avoid turmoil and noise so that he might be able to read and pray
and fast there. Indeed it was not easy for him to stay even there
because of the multitude of disciples and paupers and pilgrims and
beggars who followed him thither. Declan was however generous and very
sympathetic and on that account it is recorded by tradition that a great
following (of poor, &c.), generally accompanied him and that moreover the
little cell was very dear to him for the reason we have given, and many
devout people have made it their practice to dwell therein.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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