Gossipings about the Parish of Saul. 43 



the privilege to accompany, times out of number, on little 

 excursions through the bye-ways and lanes of Lecale, published 

 a pamphlet many years ago, from which I cull the following : — 

 " The several lives of the Saint published by Colgan (in each of 

 which the facts concerned are much the same), assert that St. 

 Patrick having proceeded northwards, along the coasts of Dublin 

 and Louth, and passing by the kingdom of the Ultones 

 (formerly Ulidia, now the barony of Lecale), at length pene- 

 trated into a certain frith, which is Brennese, and he landed at 

 Ostium Slain (the mouth of the slain). There, indeed, they 

 concealed the bark, and they came a little distance into the 

 country, that they might rest there and lie down." Here we 

 are called upon to solve the great problem of identification of 

 Brennese and of the Slain, and to set aside the opinions of the 

 majority of those writers who have been in favour of Dundrum 

 Bay, and who seem to have followed the popular belief of those 

 who preceded them, rather than afford us sufficient evidence to 

 prove that they had made a full examination of the facts for 

 themselves. I think if we closely consult the Book, of Armagh, 

 compiled about A.D. 807 ; The Life of St. Patrick, published 

 by Colgan ; Harris's History of the County Down, Dr. 

 O'Donovan, Dr. Lanigan, and other writers, we are enabled to 

 arrive at the conclusion that the Fretum Brenesse could be 

 interpreted in no other sense than the present Lough of 

 Strangford. The '' Four Masters " write : — " An inundation 

 of the sea over the land at Brena, in this year, which was the 

 seventh lake eruption that occurred in the time of Partholon ; 

 and this is named Lough Cuan." Now, Dr. O'Donovan 

 observes, " This is called Fretum-Brennese, in the second and 

 fourth lives of St. Patrick by Colgan." To my mind the 

 evidence is sufficiently clear that it was the ancient name of the 

 mouth of Strangford Lough, and, that after the inundation, the 

 lake thus formed was called Loch Cuan, now known as Strang- 

 ford Lough. I will again take the liberty of quoting from Mr. 

 Hanna's notes : — '' Sailing down Strangford River, passing 

 Audleys and Walshestown Castles, and steering in a westerly 



