Page:Dictionary of National Biography volume 19.djvu/41

Finn Barr dead in his bed on 17 Oct. 1872. He was buried in the Grange cemetery, Edinburgh, on 22 Oct. He married, in 1836, Miss Chrystal, by whom he had six children.

[Memorials of the Rev. Thomas Finlayson, D.D., 1873, with portrait; John Smith's Our Scottish Clergy, 1849, 2nd ser. pp. 295–301.] 

FINN BARR, (d. 623), of Cork, was son of Amergin, of the tribe of Ui Briuin Hatha of Connaught, who were descended from Eochaidh Muidmheadhon, brother of Olioll Olum, king of Munster. Amermn left Connaught for Munster and settled in the territory of Muscraidhe (Muskerry), in the county of Cork, where he obtained an inheritance and land at a place called Achaidh Durbchon ; he was also chief smith to Tigernach, king of the Ui Eachach of Munster, who lived at Bathlin in the neighbourhood of Bandon. Amergin married in defiance of the king's prohibition, and the couple were ordered to be burnt alive. A thunderstorm which prevented the sentence from being carried out was regarded as a divine interposition, and they were set free. A child having been born from this union, they returned to Achaidh Durbchon, where he was baptised by a bishop named MacCorb, who gave him the name of Luan (or Lochan accoiding to another account). When he was seven years old three clerics of Munster — Brendan, Lochan, and Fiodhach — who had been on a pilgrimage to Leinster, came to revisit their native territories, and stopping at the house of Amergin admired the child. Eventually they were allowed to take him away to be educated. On their return with him they arrived at a place called Sliabh Muinchill, where it was thought suitable that he should read his alphabet (or elements), be tonsured, and have his name changed. The cleric who cut his hair is said to have observed : 'Fair [finn] is this hair [barra] of Luan.' Let this be his name, said another, 'Barr-finn or Finn-barr.' His name, however, in popular usage, as well as in many authorities, has always been Barra or Bairre. On this occasion Brendan was observed to weep and then soon after to smile, and when asked the reason replied, 'I have prayed to Almighty God to grant me three territories in South Munster for my use and that of my successors, viz. from the Blackwater to the Lee, from the Lee to the Bandon, and from the Bandon to Bere Island, but they have been granted to Barra for ever. I wept because I fear I am blameworthy in God's sight, and I smiled again for joy because of the love which God manifested for Barra.' The three clerics, with Barra, proceeding on their journey, arrived at Belach Gabhran, now Gowran, in the county of Kilkenny. Here he read his psalms and began his studies, and his diligence was shown by his prayer that a heavy fall of snow might continue to block his hut until he could read his 'saltair.' It is said to have continued accordingly. He next went to Cuil Caisin (now Coolcashin), in the barony of Galmoy, county of Kilkenny, where he marked out and founded that church, and thence to Aghaboe, where he blessed a church and stayed for a while. He departed at the request of his predecessor, St. Canice, after some negotiation, and went to MacCorb, by whom he had been baptised. The latter had been a fellow-pupil of St. David, and both were reputed to have been pupils of Pope Gregory, which probably means that they studied his writings, which were held in high esteem by the Irish. About this time Fachtna, an aged chieftain of Muscraidhe Breogain, now the barony of Clanwilliam, in county of Tipperary, whose son and daughter Finn Barr had cured, and whose wife he was said to have brought to life, made a grant to him of Rath Mhartir in perpetuity. Here there is an important difference between the Irish and Latin lives, the latter giving Fiachna as the name of the chieftain, whom Ussher, appearing to have known only the Latin life, identifies with the king of West Munster. But the Irish life evidently gives the correct account. With MacCorb Finn Barr read the gospels of St. Matthew and the ecclesiastical rules, to which another authority adds the Epistles of St. Paul. It was while in this neighbourhood that he stayed at Lough Eirce, in a place called Eadargabhail (Addergoole), where, according to the Irish life, he had a school in which many famous saints are said to have been educated. There has been much discussion as to the situation of Lough Eirce, chiefly owing to an error of Colgan, who placed it in the neighbourhood of Cork. There is a townland of Addergoole in the parish of Aghmacart in the south of Queen's County, and adjoining it in co. Kilkenny is the parish of Eirke, in a low-lying district. Here the site of the school must be looked for. At Lough Eirce there was also a female school, presided over by a sister of Finn Barr's. Coming now to his own country, he founded a church at Achaidh Durbchon. 'Near this,' says the Irish life, 'is the grotto [cuas] of Barra, and there is a lake or tarn there, from which a salmon is brought to him every evening.' This appears to be the lake of Gougane Barra, at the source of the river Lee, which probably derives its name from the cuadhan, pronounced cuagán (the little cavity) of Barra. Warned, as we are informed, by an angel not to stay at the 