284 CORNISH DEDICATIONS. 



She then received the veil at some church not specified, in 

 the present county of Waterford, and then departed into the 

 territory of the Hy Luachra or Hy Connaill, that is to say into 

 the present County of Limerick, where she settled under the 

 slopes of the Mullaghareick chain, at a place called Cluain- 

 Credhuel, that is now known as Killeedy or the Cell of Ida. 



She had several devout women as companions, and there she 

 formed a college. 



The "Life" passes abruptly from the early days of Itha 

 and her taking the veil to when she is an Abbess at Killeedy, but 

 from an incident that occurs in the narrative we conclude that for 

 a while she had been under the Abbess Cainreach at Clonburren 

 in Roscommon. The incident is as follows : 



One day Aengus, Abbot of Clonmacnois, sent a priest to 

 celebrate the Eucharist and communicate the congregation of S. 

 Itha. Afterwards the holy woman bade her disciples fold up and 

 pack the vestments in which the priest had celebrated, and send 

 them with his baggage as a present to Clonmacnois. The priest 

 demurred, he had been instructed by his Abbot to receive nothing 

 in return for the service rendered. Then Itha quieted his scruples 

 by saying : — " Long ago, your Abbot Oengus visited the convent 

 of the holy virgin, Chinreach. I was there at the time. Chin- 

 reach washed the feet of Oengus, and wiped them with a towel. 

 I at the time was by, kneeling and holding part of the towel, 

 and I helped to dry his feet. Tell him that. He will be pleased, 

 and not reject the little present now offered with all my heart." 

 This is the sole intimation that we have of Itha having passed 

 any time with S. Cainreach of Clonburren, who is meant by 

 Chinreach. 



The district occupied by the Hy Connaill Gabhra, among 

 whom Itha made her abode, comprised the baronies of Conello 

 and Glenquin. She must have been invited thither, as the chief 

 of the clan at once gave her lands, and would have granted her 

 more, but she refused to receive them. She needed sufficient to 

 maintain her establishment in necessaries but not in wealth. The 

 Hy Connaill chose her to be their Tribal Saint, to bless their 

 undertakings, and to curse their enemies, as well as to undertake 

 the education of their daughters. 



