AN GAODHAL.
469
Treasurer of Ireland in the year 1317. (See Ware's
writers page 9). He lived in the year 650. Ultan
McConchubhair wrote some hymns foretelling the
coming of the English, he died in the year 606.
St. Brendan also wrote revelations of future ages.
(Ibid page 4). Columbkille is called the Divine
Prophet in the life of St. Colman first bishop of
Dromore. Some of his prophecies are still extant.
There is also extant an Irish prophecy ascribed to
Fursy. (Ware's writers page 10). St. Malachy O
Morgair Archbishop of Armagh wrote a prophecy
of the Popes of Rome published by Arnold Wion
in his Lignum Vitæ. (Ware's writers page 20).
Bale says, William the Abbot an Irishman was au¬
thor of a book of prophecies and also that Gildas
Albinus disciple of St. Patrick wrote a book of
prophecies in verse. In the ancient records there
is reference made to the prophecy of St. Cathaldus
or Cathal, who predicted many things concerning
the kingdom of Naples and to St. Laserian or Las¬
erianus a bishop of Cashel, who foretold that the
Catholic faith should never fail in Rome, untill it
had first been overthrown in Ireland. And it is
said that a copy of this phophecy had been for¬
warded to O'Niel of Ulster from Rome by Pope
Paul in the year 1538. St. Bridget, says Bale, pub¬
lished a book of her revelations dictated by an an¬
gel — Some of those prophecies are still extant.
St. Jarlath first bishop of Tuam who lived about
540 according to Ware, wrote certain prophecies
of his successors the bishops of Tuam, extant und¬
er his name. St. Sinon of Iniscahhy in the river
Shannon, wrote also a long prophecy concerning
his native land, but I find him already more than
sixty years wrong as to the date of her freedom.
It is unnecessary for me to further mention the
names of all who have written Irish prophecies,
the greater portion of which is now lost; since I
have not undertaken to write a regular dissertation
upon prophecy, but merely a few succinct articles
for the benefit of the readers of the Gael and all
who may take a lively interest in this grave sub¬
ject. The Irish prophecies are very apt to be
greatly clouded and corrupted with error, as they
have been handed down to us for many ages
through the medium of obscure or unknown trans¬
cribers, or by means of oral or traditionary trans¬
mission which is always more liable to err, there¬
fore it would require a mind of no ordinary saga¬
city and penetration to form in all cases a correct
judgement as to what portion of them shall, or
shall not be fulfilled; so that in regard to them it
would be advisable to take the wise cuunsel of St.
Augustine who in matters of doubt says, the pru¬
dent course is sometimes not to believe nor alto¬
gether reject that which involves uncertainty. In
my early days in my native land I had the satisfac¬
tion of having the acquaintance of a noted prophe¬
cy man, who, although illiterate, possessed as great
a memory as perhaps Simonedes or Plutarch of old
and who seemed to be as great a lover of truth as
was Moran the just pagan Iris judge who was re¬
ported to be in possession of a magical collar that
choked all the false witnesses who testified before
him. This man told me that at a date, which
must be now more than eighty years ago, a certain
traveler read at my informant's house late at night
a prophecy — book in which the future fortunes and
vicissitudes of Ireland were clearly delineated.
He also told me seven years before the death of
O'Connell that the so called liberator was not des¬
tined to free Ireland, but that her independence
should be achieved at a subsequent period. He
further informed me that not only should the au¬
tonomy of Ireland be most certainly gained, but
that the time would come when God would submit
England to the invasion and conquest of the young
men of Ireland. I have made diligent inquiry
both in manuscripts and printed books as well as
in the traditions of the people, to see if I could
not find some corroborative collateral evidence to
substantiate the genuineness of this last predict¬
ion, but in as far as my native land and its people
are concerned I have hitherto failed. Yet I have
discovered some substantiative testimony in the
prophetic writings of one Nixon, an English man,
who foretold many ages ago that a virtuous race
of young men should invade England,
and establish therein a government and
church which should prosper for
centuries. As an offset to the foregoing it
is however predicted in the Wars of the Gauls
and Gaels a work of the beginning of the eleventh
century that it is the destiny of Ireland to remain
in bondage till the day of judgement. This is pro¬
bably a true prophecy for when the liberation of
Ireland and Poland comes, that date will inevitably
prove to be the day of judgement for the enemies
of God throughout the world. Concerning this
day, its alarming proximity, duration and all its
mysterious belongings, I intend to give a new, luc¬
id and startling demonstration when I come to ex¬
patiate on the unfulfilled scriptural prophecies.
Those who wish to become better informed on the
foregoing subject must make themselves acquaint¬
ed with O'Curry's Lectures, O'Kearney's Compila¬
tion, and the small unauthorized versions of the
Irish prophecies which are to be found in English
and which profess to give an account of the future
invasion of Ireland and of the different battles to
be fought for her national disinthrallment. Apart
from the foregoing and the Holy Scriptures, the
chief prophetic works of interest which have re¬
cently come under my notice are those of Signor
Pastorini, the Christian Trumpet, and a volume in
French containing the prophecies of the Monk of
Orval and others with explanatory observations by
the editor. Many of the Continental prophecies are
of very recent date and I feel compelled to say that
in my opinion they greatly diminish in value acc¬
ording as they recede from antiquity, and for
this reason those of them that have withstood the
