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Vita sancti Ciarani Cluanensis

  • Latin
  • prose
  • extent: covers multiple recensions
Manuscripts
Kilkenniensis/Dublin recension
Insulensis/Oxford recension
Salmanticensis recension
Language
  • Latin
Form
prose (primary)

Classification

Subjects

Ciarán of ClonmacnoiseCiarán (mac int Shaír) of Clonmacnoise
(c. 515–c. 549)
Irish saint, patron of Clúain Moccu Nóis (Clonmacnoise). Feast-day: 9 September.
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Sources

Primary sources Text editions and/or modern translations – in whole or in part – along with publications containing additions and corrections, if known. Diplomatic editions, facsimiles and digital image reproductions of the manuscripts are not always listed here but may be found in entries for the relevant manuscripts. For historical purposes, early editions, transcriptions and translations are not excluded, even if their reliability does not meet modern standards.

[ed.] Plummer, Charles, Vitae sanctorum Hiberniae, partim hactenus ineditae, 2 vols, vol. 1, Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1910.
Internet Archive: <link>
200–216 Version M.
[tr.] Macalister, R. A. S. [tr.], The Latin & Irish lives of Ciaran, Translations of Christian Literature, 5, London: Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge, 1921.
Internet Archive – originally from Google Books: <link> Internet Archive: <link>
14–43 Version M.
[ed.] [tr.] Macalister, R. A. S. [tr.], The Latin & Irish lives of Ciaran, Translations of Christian Literature, 5, London: Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge, 1921.
Internet Archive – originally from Google Books: <link> Internet Archive: <link>
172–183 (text); 44–65 (translation) Insulensis/Oxford version.
[ed.] Heist, W. W. [ed.], Vitae sanctorum Hiberniae: ex codice olim Salmanticensi, nunc Bruxellensi. Lives of the saints of Ireland, from the Salamanca manuscript now of Brussels, Subsidia Hagiographica, 28, Brussels: Société des Bollandistes, 1965.
Version S.
[ed.] De Smedt, Charles, and Joseph De Backer, Acta Sanctorum Hiberniae ex codice Salmanticensi, Edinburgh and London, 1888.
Münchener DigitalisierungsZentrum – scanned copy: <link>
cols 155–160 Version S.
[tr.] Macalister, R. A. S. [tr.], The Latin & Irish lives of Ciaran, Translations of Christian Literature, 5, London: Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge, 1921.
Internet Archive – originally from Google Books: <link> Internet Archive: <link>
59–65 Version S.
[tr.] Ó Riain, Pádraig, Four Offaly saints: the Lives of Ciarán of Clonmacnoise, Ciarán of Seir, Colmán of Lynally and Fíonán of Kinnitty, Dublin: Four Courts Press, 2018.  
abstract:
Lying just south of the line that divided Ireland’s two halves, Leath Chuinn to the north and Leath Mhogha to the south, the churches of the present county of Offaly could scarcely have been other than places of exceptional importance. A vision attributed to Finnian of Clonard saw a silver moon rise above Clonmacnoise that brought brightness and light to the mid-parts of Ireland, and another vision attributed to Ciarán himself showed the shadow of his church protecting every part of the country, north and south. For its part, Seirkieran laid claim to having been one of the first churches founded in Ireland, by its saint, another Ciarán, who was acting on instructions received from St Patrick, before the latter ever brought Christianity to the country. Seirkieran had a claim to cathedral status in Ossory over a long period. Lynally’s patron Colmán was of northern origin and his church provided abbots to certain northern churches over several centuries. By way of contrast, Kinnitty’s saint Fíonán was reputedly of Kerry origin, and this is reflected in the Life written for him, which brings him down to west Munster on numerous occasions. Connections such as these bear witness to the important role played by the churches of Offaly in the history of early Irish Christianity. The four Lives in this volume, which are translated from Latin originals, contain much of interest countrywide.
Not seen.

Secondary sources (select)

Lapidge, Michael, and Richard Sharpe, A bibliography of Celtic-Latin literature, 400-1200, Royal Irish Academy Dictionary of Medieval Latin from Celtic Sources, Ancillary Publications, 1, Dublin: Royal Irish Academy, 1985.
111 no. 386 (S), 120 no. 442 (Oxford), 129 no. 499 (Dublin)
Kenney, James F., “Chapter V: The monastic churches: II. The churches of the sixth to ninth centuries; general treatises”, in: James F. Kenney, The sources for the early history of Ireland: an introduction and guide. Volume 1: ecclesiastical, Revised ed., 11, New York: Octagon, 1966. 372–485.
378–380 [id. 166.]
Plummer, Charles, “A tentative catalogue of Irish hagiography”, in: Charles Plummer [ed.], Miscellanea hagiographica Hibernica: vitae adhuc ineditae sanctorum Mac Creiche, Naile, Cranat, 15, Brussels: Société des Bollandistes, 1925. 171–285.
Collection:  Utrecht University Library: <link>
239 [id. 225.]
web page identifiers
Contributors
Dennis Groenewegen
Page created
December 2021
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