“Of the Abbot of a Church. 1.—­If you be the head man of a Church noble is the power, better for you that you be just who take the heirship of the king. 2.—­If you are the head man of a Church noble is the obligation, preservation of the rights of the Church from the small to the great. 3.—­What Holy Church commands preach then with diligence; what you order to each one do it yourself. 4.—­As you love your own soul love the souls of all.  Yours the magnification of every good [and] banishment of every evil. 5.—­Be not a candle under a bushel [Luke 11:33].  Your learning without a cloud over it.  Yours the healing of every host both strong and weak. 6.—­Yours to judge each one according to grade and according to deed; he will advise you at judgment before the king.... 10.—­Yours to rebuke the foolish, to punish the hosts, turning disorder into order [restraint] of the stubborn, obstinate, wretched.”

Reservation of the Coarbship of Mochuda at Lismore in favour of Kerrymen is an extremely curious if not unique provision.  How long it continued in force we do not know.  Probably it endured to the twelfth century and possibly the rule was not of strict interpretation.  Christian O’Connarchy, who was bishop of Lismore in the twelfth century, is regarded as a native of Decies, though the contrary is slightly suggested by his final retirement to Kerry.  The alleged prophecy concerning Kerry men and the coarbship points to some rule, regulation or law of Mochuda.

MAP OF IRELAND.

+-------------------------------------------+
|                                           |
|                        __   __---_        |
|                   ,-~~~  ~\/      ~\      |
|                 ,_/                 |     |
|                /,_                   /    |
|           _       _/                 ~\   |
|        /~~ ~\/~-_|                    /   |
|       \                            /~     |
|       \ _                       _\/       |
|         ,’                     |          |
|       /~                Tara    \         |
|       \                     *    |        |
|        ’~|__-     Rahen          /        |
|         .- ,/~         *          \       |
|           |                      /        |
|          /                       |        |
|        /_,_/~                    |        |
|        /         Cashel         /         |
|    ,--~             *           |         |
|   /---         Lismore   __|_-_/          |
|   ,-~               *-,-~                 |
|   \_-~/          \ /~ *                   |
|    ,-~/=        _/~   Ardmore             |
|    --~/_-_-/~’~                           |
|                                           |
+-------------------------------------------+

LIFE OF ST. DECLAN.

“Betha DECCLAIN.”