COENISH DEDICATIONS. 



127 



race was royal. Whilst yet in tender years lie was sent to Clones 

 where he was brought up along with Tighernach, who has also 

 left a footprint in Cornwall, at Northill. They were both carried 

 away by pirates from Britain and were sold into captivity. 

 Ninidh,* abbot of Ty Grwyn or Eosnat, now identified with a site 

 on the slopes of Carn Lliddy, near S. David's Head, obtained 

 their liberation ; he took charge of them, and educated them in 

 his establishment, where they made the acquaintance of Coirpre, 

 afterwards Bishop of Coleraine. A second time Eogain and his 

 companions were carried into captivity and this time were taken 

 to and sold as slaves in Britanny, where they became the property 

 of one of the Armorican Kings, who set them to grind his mill. 



One day whilst Eugene, Tighernach, and Coirpre, were 

 supposed to be thus engaged, the steward noticed that there was 

 no sound of grinding issuing from the mill. He looked in and 

 found the lads engaged in reading a psalter they had managed to 

 preserve. When he informed his master of this, the King, who 

 respected scholarship, generously gave them their liberty and 

 sent them back to Ty Gwyn. There Eogain or Eugene remained 

 for many years. At last Ninidh resolved on crossing into Ireland 

 and estabhshing monasteries there. He took with him both 

 Eugene and Torney and they founded settlements in Leinster. 

 Eogain made an independent establishment at Kilnamanagh, on 

 the East coast of Wicklow, and presided over it for fifteen years 

 as Abbot. 



Under him his nephew, S. Kevin, of Grlendalough, received 

 his education. 



After a while Eogain left his monastery and went North, 

 along with Tighernach. The legend says that great was the 

 grief of the monks of Kilnamanagh at losing their superior. 

 He consoled them by assuring them that, although absent in 

 body, he would ever be with them in spirit. 



Together these friends Eogain and Tighernach founded a 

 monastery at Clones, and then, after awhile, Eogain went further 

 and made an establishment at Ardstraw, or the high place on 

 the Strath, i.e. on the Httle river Derg. 



* Same as S. Mawgan. 



