Page:Dictionary of National Biography volume 19.djvu/49

Fintan the barony of Forth, co. Wexford. Here one day when in the woods he met three men clothed in white garments, who told him, 'Here will be your city,' and they marked out in his presence seven places in which afterwards the chief buildings of his city should be erected, and Fintan placed crosses there. The chieftain of the country of Forth, named Dimma, who had offended him by unseemly rejoicing over a homicide, repenting, 'offered him the land where his city Taghmon now is.' He asked for a reward, and when Fintan promised him the kingdom of heaven, said: 'That is not enough, unless you also give me long life and all my wishes, and allow me to be buried with your monks in holy ground.' All these requests Fintan granted to him. The community of Fintan consisted of fifty monks, and their daily food was bread with water and a little milk. Dimma, chieftain of the territory, had placed his two sons in fosterage—one, Cellach, at Airbre in Ui Cennselaigh with St. Cuan; the other, Cillin, with Fintan at Taghmon. The father going to visit them found Cellach dressed in a blue cloak, with a sheaf of purple arrows on his shoulder, his writing tablet bound with brass, and wearing shoes ornamented with brass. Cillin, in a cloak of black undyed sheep's wool, a short white tunic, with a black border and common shoes, chanting psalms with other boys behind the wagon. The king was displeased, but Fintan told him that Cellach would be slain by the Leinster people, while Cillin would be 'the head of a church, a wise man, a scribe, bishop, and anchorite,' and would go to heaven. Fintan's rugged character is illustrated in an imaginary dialogue between him and the angel who used to visit him. Fintan asked why another, whom he mentioned, was higher in favour than himself. Because, was the reply, 'he never caused any one to blush, whereas you scold your monks shamefully.' 'Then,' Fintan indignantly replied, 'I will go into exile and never take any more pains with my monks.' 'No,' said the angel, 'but the Lord will visit you.' That night Fintan became a leper, and continued so for twenty-three years. This is referred to in the 'Calendar' of Oengus, where he is called 'crochda,' crucified or bearing a cross. Fintan's most remarkable appearance was at the council of Magh Ailbe or Whitefield, where the propriety of adopting changes made on the continent in the Rule of Easter was discussed. Laisrean or Molaisse of Leighlin, with his friends, defended the new system and the new order. Fintan and all others maintained the old. The king of Ui Bairrche, impatient at Fintan's delay in coming, spoke tauntingly of his leprosy. When he arrived the king asked him to speak. 'Why,' said Fintan, turning fiercely to him, 'do you ask me, a leprous man, for a speech? When you were abusing me Christ blushed at the right hand of the Father, for I am a member of Christ.' Fintan proposed the ordeal by fire and then by water, or a contest in miraculous power; but Laisrean would not risk the danger of defeat. Dr. Lanigan is not accurate in saying that 'Fintan soon after withdrew his opposition, and agreed with his brethren of the south,' for the 'Codex Salmanticensis' states that the council broke up, assenting to his conclusion: 'Let every one do as he believes, and as seems to him right,' words which fairly express the tolerant spirit of the Irish church. It is added by the writer of his 'Life' that whenever he addressed a guest in rough or hasty language he would not eat until he had apologised, saying: 'At that moment I was the son of Tulchan according to the flesh, but now I am spiritually the son of God.' Lanigan does not allow that he was at Clonenagh; but Bishop Reeves, following Colgan, holds that he was 'fourth in a succession of Fintans there.' He has given his name to a Taghmon, also in Westmeath, and is commemorated at Kilmun in Cowall (Scotland), where he is buried according to the 'Breviary of Aberdeen.' There was also a church in Loch Leven called after him. In the 'Litany' of Oengus 'one hundred and fifty true martyrs' who lived under his rule are invoked, and two hundred and thirty-three are referred to in the 'Martyrology' of Tamlaght; but this does not imply that they were all living at one time. The name Mundu or Munnu is interpreted in the 'Lebar Brecc' as a contraction of mo-Fhindu, the F in the compound becoming silent; Fintan is also a contraction of Findu-án. His day is celebrated 21 Oct.  FIRBANK, JOSEPH (1819–1886), railway contractor, son of a Durham miner, was born at Bishop Auckland in 1819. At the age of seven he was sent to work in a colliery, and attended a night-school. In 1841 he secured a sub-contract in connection with the Woodhead tunnel on the Stockton and Darlington railway, and in 1845 and 1846 took contracts on the Midland railway. The opposition to railway construction was so great at this time that on one occasion Firbank was captured and kept a prisoner for twenty- 