Lawi.ok — Notes on St. Bernard's Life of St. Mulachi/. 253 



became bishop of Connor. But that discovery does not dispose of our difiieulty. 

 St. Bernard says that Malachy spent several years at Lismore. That he 

 cannot have done on the occasion of his second visit; all the probabilities 

 are in favour of the supposition that it was of .short duration. AVe do not get 

 rid of theditficnlty caused by his long sojourn in the south between 1120 and 

 1124 by removing one event of it to a later period. The chronology remains 

 as congested as ever. I proceed to suggest a way of relief. 



In the year 1123 there died at Tasmore one Aengns Gormain, comarb 

 of Comgall. So the annalists tell us.' His successor was duly elected at 

 Bangor. He was Malachy's uncle, and shortly after his election he resigned 

 his office in favour of Ids nephew, desiring at the same time that he himself 

 should live as a member of the community {Vita, § 12). Thus it was open 

 to ilalachy to become comarb of Comgall. He was still at Lismore, if we 

 are right in believing that he went there in 1121 and stayed with Malchus 

 for " several years." Now Cellach and Imhar would naturally see in the offer 

 of the comarbate which had been made to him an opportunity of carrvino 

 into effect the ordinance of the decree of Eathbreasal which created the 

 diocese of Connor. Just as Cellach, elected as a layman to the chair of 

 Patrick, was shortly afterwards consecrated, and thus became episcopal ruler 

 of a diocese, so might the abbot of Bangor, if he was a bishop and a forceful 

 man, subjugate the territory in which Bangor was situated to episcopal rule. 

 So they recalled Malachy to the North. They recalled him, not, as St. Bernard 

 says, to Armagh, but to Bangor; not because they wished to have the benefit 

 of his society, for Bangor is a long way from Armagh ; not merely because 

 they desired that he should be abbot of Bangor ; but because they hoped that 

 having the prestige which belonged to the successor of St Comgall and the 

 orders of a bishop, he would be able to organize the hitherto non-existent 

 diocese of Connor. To Bangor, accordingly, he went. His consecration 

 synchronized with, or shortly followed, his induction to the abbacy." 



If that is what actually happened, tlie chronology becomes simple. The 

 vicariate of Malachy began in 1120. He retired to Lismore late in 1121. 

 Having spent three years there, he went to Bangor as bishop of Connor and 

 comarb of Comgall. And tliis harmonizes witli the Annals. They say nothing 

 about his abbacy, while duly recording the beginning of his episcopate. But 

 if his office of abbot had not been from the fii'st merged in that of bishop, it 

 is almost inconceivable that they should never accord him the title of comarb 

 of Comgall. 



' Annals of VUter and Four Masters. 



' Malachy may have passed through Armagh on his way to Bangor, as a glance at the 

 map will prove. Possibly he stayed there for a short time, and was consecrated before 

 he left. 



B.I. A. PROC, VOL. XX.XV, SECT. C. [85] 



