New Advent
 Home   Encyclopedia   Summa   Fathers   Bible   Library 
 A  B  C  D  E  F  G  H  I  J  K  L  M  N  O  P  Q  R  S  T  U  V  W  X  Y  Z 
New Advent
Home > Catholic Encyclopedia > A > Ardbraccan

Ardbraccan

Please help support the mission of New Advent and get the full contents of this website as an instant download. Includes the Catholic Encyclopedia, Church Fathers, Summa, Bible and more — all for only $19.99...

(Hill of Braccan, or Brecan)

Site of an ancient abbey, now a parish and village in the county Meath, Ireland, three miles west from Navan. Ardbraccan Abbey was founded and governed by St. Brecan. He was grandson of Carthan Finn, first Christian prince of Thomond and son of Eochaidh Balldearg, also prince of Thomond, whom St. Patrick baptized. Brecan had the gift of prophecy. He died, Petrie says, early in the sixth century (but Ware states not till after 650) and was interred in Templebrecan, a church he founded in the Great Isle of Arran. Petrie copied the inscription on his tombstone discovered early in the nineteenth century. The "Martyrology of Donegal" calls him Bishop of Ardbraccan; but the founder of that see was St. Ultan, who succeeded him as abbot. Ultan's charity towards children was remarkable. He wrote lives of Sts. Brigid and Patrick, and died 657. Tirechan, who succeeded him, compiled the "Acts of St. Patrick" received from the lips of Ultan. Between the ninth and the twelfth century Ardbraccan was often pillaged and burned by Danes and natives. The succession of abbot-bishops continued till the English invasion, when abbey and town declined. After the Synod of Kells (1152) Ardbraccan and other small sees of the kingdom of Meath were united under the title of Meath, and the episcopal residence was fixed there at an early date.

Sources

Annals of the Four Masters, ed. by O'DONOVAN (Dublin, 1856); ARCHDALL, Monasticon Hibernicum (Dublin, 1786); WARE-HARRIS, Works concerning Ireland (Dublin, 1739); LEWIS, Topogr. Dict. of Ireland (Dublin, 1847); LANIGAN, Eccl. Hist. of Ireland (Dublin, 1822); COGAN, Diocese of Meath (Dublin, 1862).

About this page

APA citation. Ryan, J. (1907). Ardbraccan. In The Catholic Encyclopedia. New York: Robert Appleton Company. http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/01699d.htm

MLA citation. Ryan, James. "Ardbraccan." The Catholic Encyclopedia. Vol. 1. New York: Robert Appleton Company, 1907. <http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/01699d.htm>.

Transcription. This article was transcribed for New Advent by John Fobian. In memory of Rev. Thomas Casey.

Ecclesiastical approbation. Nihil Obstat. March 1, 1907. Remy Lafort, S.T.D., Censor. Imprimatur. +John Cardinal Farley, Archbishop of New York.

Contact information. The editor of New Advent is Kevin Knight. My email address is webmaster at newadvent.org. Regrettably, I can't reply to every letter, but I greatly appreciate your feedback — especially notifications about typographical errors and inappropriate ads.

Copyright © 2023 by New Advent LLC. Dedicated to the Immaculate Heart of Mary.

CONTACT US | ADVERTISE WITH NEW ADVENT