St. Maelruain of Tallaght (d. 792) founder of the Céilí Dé reform movement
St
Maelruain was the leader of the Céilí Dé, a reform movement aimed at
restoring purity and austerity to Irish monasticism which had become
somewhat lax in the 8th century.
Maelruain founded a monastery
at Tallaght, in south Co Dublin.
The image shown is of the Martyrology of Tallaght (Ms
A3), a list of the names of saints and their feasts attributed to St
Maelruain and his disciple St Aengus and read at their community Mass.
A monastery at Tallaght
Little is know of the
early life of Maelruain. Probably he was born in the Lorrha
neighbourhood of north Tipperary in 720. In 755 he founded a monastery
at Tallaght in south Co Dublin on land given by Cellach mac Dunchada,
King of Leinster.
He is associated with the monastic reform movement
begun in the eighth century known as the Céilí Dé or Culdees.
In both the Annals of Ulster and the Annals of the Four Masters,
Maelruain is referred to as a "bishop", but this terminology may reflect
the Church structure of the later time of writing.
Céilí Dé
Céilí Dé probably means the
'companions' or 'intimates' of God - by analogy, for example, with bean
chéile ('wife') or fear céile ('husband').
Why a reform movement?
Irish monasteries had
become lax by the eighth century, possibly as a result of too much going
abroad and an overemphasis on the peregrinatio pro Christo (or
'pilgrimage for Christ') movement to the continent begun by Saints
Colmcille and Columban in the late sixth century.
The fact that many
monks felt called to go into wandering exile on the continent may have
caused the internal discipline of the monasteries to break down
somewhat.
A strong ascetical component
Maelruain’s reform
at Tallaght was severe. It put more emphasis on preserving the enclosure
and keeping the monks from sin than on the missionary dimension.
There
was a strong ascetical component, strong spiritual direction, frequent
confession, as well as long fasts and harsh penances, such as standing
in cold water for long periods to control the flesh.
The Rule of the Céilí Dé
Along with his disciple Aengus, Maelruain is regarded as joint author of The Rule of the Céilí Dé.
A copy is preserved in the library of the Royal Irish Academy.
The 19th
century Celtic scholar Eoghan O'Curry says of this: "It contains a
minute series of rules for the regulation of the lives of the Céilí Dé,
their prayers, their preachings, their conversations, their
confessions, their communions, their ablutions, their fastings, their
abstinences, their relaxations, their sleep, their celebrations of the
Mass, and so forth".
Liturgy and manual work
The monks came together
for a liturgical cycle of prayer, chanting psalms. There was also
devotion to Our Lady and Michael the archangel. Mass was celebrated on
Sundays, Thursdays and on great feasts.
The monks received the
consecrated bread, but not the consecrated wine.
A litany of the names
of the saints (The Martyrology of Tallaght) was read at every Mass.
Intellectual and manual work were also valued as part of the monastery routine.
Spread of the movement
Besides Aengus, another disciple of Maelruain called Moling made a foundation similar to the Céilí Dé
on the river Barrow at St Mullins in Co Carlow.
Moling also became a
figure of influence in the Ferns area. Other monasteries of the Céilí Dé
movement were founded at Finglas, Clonenagh, Terryglass and Dairinis
near Lismore.
The Culdees also spread to Wales and Scotland where they
survived into medieval times.
Tallaght in modern times
A Church of Ireland
(Anglican) church was built on the site at Tallaght in 1829 partly from
the medieval remains of Maelruain's monastery.
In 1855 the Dominicans
founded St Mary’s Priory, which then became the Catholic parish.
The
celebration of the saint's "pattern" (= patron saint’s feast) had
survived till this time, but the processions, dancing and drinking at
night had got so out of hand that in 1856 the Dominicans decided to
suppress it.
This may account for the fact that no Catholic church is
dedicated to St Maelruain, but there are schools and a local GAA club
called after him.