The assertions of St. Bernard in _Life_, § 19, concerning the coarbs of Patrick are controlled by _A.U._ The ninth predecessor of Cellach, Cathasach II. (+957) is described in them (_s.a._ 956) as "coarb of Patrick, learned bishop of the Goidhil." None of the following eight is said to have been a bishop, though all are called coarbs of Patrick. Moreover Cellach himself was appointed abbot before he "received holy orders," and the record of his ordination on St. Adamnan's Day (September 23) 1105, several weeks after his "institution," seems to indicate that it was unusual for the abbots to be ordained. All this corroborates the statement that his eight predecessors were "without orders." It is true, indeed, that according to _A.F.M._ Amalgaid, one of the eight, anointed Maelsechlainn king of Ireland, on his deathbed in 1022. But it does not follow from this that he was a priest. In early times, as is well known, unction was administered to the sick by laymen; and there appears to be no evidence that this office was confined to the priesthood till well on in the ninth century (_Dict. of Christ. Antiquities_, ii. 2004). It is at least possible that the older usage lingered on in Ireland to a much later date than on the Continent. But the statement of _A.F.M._ as to the anointing of Maelsechlainn is not confirmed by the more reliable authority of _A.U._ That at least five of the eight were, as St. Bernard says, "married men" is shown by the following table, compiled from _A.U._ and MacFirbis (_R.I.A._, MS. 23 P. 1, p. 308). The persons whose names are printed in italics were coarbs of Patrick. Cellach |-------------| | | Eochaid _Dubdalethe II_ +998 | _Mael Muire_ +1020 | |--------------------------------------------------| | | | _Amalgaid_ +1049 _Dubdalethe III_ +1064 Aed +1042 | | | Aed +1108 | |----------------------------------------------------------| | | | | _Mael Isa_ +1091 _Domnall_ +1105 Dubesa +1078 Eochaid(?) +1038 | | |-------------| _Muirchertach_ (§ 20) +1134 | | Aed +1095 Flannacan +1113 | |----------------------| | | _Cellach_ +1129 _Niall_ (§ 22) +1139