Chanting monks lured swine herder to a life of faith

Once in the monastery, he took the name Carthage, and developed great spiritual powers

St. Carthage – May 14

- WCR photo by Ted Fitzgerald A statue of St. Carthage greets people at his church in Lismore.

By TED FITZGERALD
Special to the WCR
Lismore, Ireland

Once an early settlement of monks at the west end of Ireland's south coast County Waterford, Lismore, a centre of religious activity for almost 14 centuries, still welcomes those seeking the history of this once-influential European educational site.

The story is told of how Mochuda, as he was then called, abandoned his pig-herding chores at his home in County Kerry, attracted by the chanting of passing monks. Enlisting in their nearby monastery, he adopted his abbot's name of Carthage, became very influential, well-loved by all and the recipient of great spiritual powers.

A miracle man

Miracles were attributed to the holy man, restoring the lives of a Munster queen and her son and curing a girl's deformed arm for example.

In 595 he founded a large monastery at Rathan in County Offaly and became abbot and bishop over some 800 monks.

Forty years later, Carthage resettled with 500 followers on the banks of the placid Blackwater River some distance above its mouth at present-day Youghal. Legend has it that he was greeted there by a holy woman who predicted that he would build a Lios Mor or Big Fort. As foretold, a defensive ditch soon surrounded the monastery.

Lismore still remembers the old name in its postmarks "Lios Mor Mochuda." His establishment was centred by a monastic church which within two years was named a cathedral. Sadly, the saint, after choosing to spend a year as a hermit in a riverside cave, passed to his heavenly reward in 637.

Attracted scholars

The monastery he founded soon became a noted centre of learning, visited by scholars from Western Europe and gaining the rare title of University of Lismore later. Despite repeated attacks by Vikings, the settlement, at one time site of 14 different churches, persevered and prospered.

The first stone cathedral was built on the site in 1207 and in 1363 the see was merged with the younger adjacent bishopric to become the Diocese of Waterford-Lismore.

Today, nothing remains of the series of buildings that served as the early cathedral except for a few grave markers.

The last building didn't survive the Reformation and over the years, neglected and unused, it fell into ruins, to be replaced later by the present Church of Ireland cathedral built in 1630 with later modifications. It's a popular Lismore attraction, is an active Anglican parish, offers tours for visitors, and publishes excellent historical and architectural guides to St. Carthage's.

Inside, the church is noted for its old memorial stones and images of popular saints - Patrick, Carthage, Catherine.

At the other end of Lismore's impressive, broad, tree-lined mall, sited appropriately at the intersection of Chapel Street and Chapel Place, is the 1884 Catholic Parish church of St. Carthage, an impressive example of Lombardo-Romanesque style.

Visitors are greeted by a statue on the fa‡ade above a huge Rose window of the church patron, who also appears elsewhere inside the large building.

Whether attending daily Mass or visiting for a prayer or a few moments of meditation, it is a moving experience in view of the tumultuous history of Irish Catholicism.

Many symbols of the Irish church are in evidence throughout the 1,100 person capacity nave.

Elsewhere, excellent historical guides to the town are available from the most helpful and knowledgeable staff at the Lismore Library, as well as information regarding the Catholic parish. It's an impressive monument in its own right, a gift of philanthropist Andrew Carnegie of uniquely Irish Hiberno-Romanesque architectural style.

The old classical style courthouse, now the Lismore Heritage Centre, offers audio-visual presentations highlighting the town, its heritage buildings and Lismore Castle, once home to renowned chemist Robert Boyle.

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