¶1] The origin of Saint Finan is assigned to Corkaguiney. The night of his conception his mother had a vision that a golden fish came on wings from the sunrise and fell into her mouth, and that thence she became with child. She went to Saint Critan and told him her vision. Said Critan ‘A saint will he born to you, and Grod's graces will he with him.’ That was clear: so long as he remained unborn, though the snow and storm of the universe were pouring, not a drop would touch his mother's vesture; and every sick person whom her saliva used to touch was healed; and all meat that her hands used to divide, however little it was and however many the divisions, would be sufficient for them: for from the birth of him, that is of Finan, and while he was yet a child, God's graces were with him. On a time when he went out with children, he told them everything, well or ill, that would come to them: and everything, small or great, happened to them. Of diseases that used to meet him he healed every one. One day when Finan was set to watch the calves, that they should not go for nourishment to the mother-kine, as they were a long way off he rose and drew the staff that was in his hand between the kine and the calves and said ‘May He who divided the sea asunder and suffered not the children of Israel to be drowned, suffer ye not to come together’: and neither of them crossed the boundary. Another day Finan went and fetched a rod from the wood without Brendan's leave. Brendan drew the rod from his hand and cast it on the fire; and though the rod was a long time on the fire it consumed it not; and seemingly the fire touched
¶2] When Brendan saw how many marvels God worked upon Finan, he took it ill that they should be hidden, and he said to Finan, ‘Beloved brother, it is meet for each of us to have a following and a church for the service of God. Let the choice be thine to stay here with part of the disciples, and for me to go to seek another place.’ ‘Not so’ said Finan, ‘for I am the younger: it is I who shall go to seek another place. Put thy blessing on me.’ ‘Be it so’, said Brendan. ‘Go thy way till thou reachest Slieve Bloom, and the place where a herd of wild boars comes in thy path there build a church.’ Finan went with the blessing of his tutor, that is, of Brendan, and a herd of wild boars met him as Brendan said, and he stayed there and founded a church in Kinnitty, as it is called today. On a day when he was there there came companies asking meat of him. The steward met them and bade them wait till Finan had said mass. They said that they would not wait and that they must get meat. The steward came to Finan and told him that. ‘Give them’, said Finan, ‘whatever thou hast.’ Then a devout woman came to Finan with nine loaves and butter-sauce: the steward gave that to the kernes: they took their fill, and gave no thanks to God or to Finan, and destroyed what they left of the food. Said the steward ‘Not God but the devil it is who has made ye do this ill.’ They were minded to slay the
¶3] Another time a canoe was made for Finan beside Loch Luidheach in Kerry: and he sent word to the lord of the soil to bid him bring the canoe to the lake. The lord came with his followers, and could not in any wise move it. When Finan saw that they could do naught with the canoe he made prayers to God and an angel brought the canoe without delay to the water.
¶4] Another time a company of robbers met Finan when he was walking and they lusted to slay the saint with his followers: when a gentle named Lonan met them on whom came God's direction to prevent them from slaying his people. Lonan did so. Said Finan, ‘Lonan, since thou hast saved us from our foes, and from the foes of the Faith, thy foes shall not prevail against thee till the time of thy death.’ Another day when Finan was journeying to his own country he chanced on a house: and the man of the house slew the calf of his one cow for the saint and his company. It was revealed to Finan, and he prayed; and there came immediately a calf from God, and it went to the cow as its own calf had gone. The same day the foot of one of Finan's carriage-horses broke, and God gave him a very beautiful horse out of the lake, which took the place of that horse for him till the end of three years. At the end of three years Finan said to the horse ‘Go to Loch Luidheach whence thou camedst, and be as thou wast before.’
¶5] Another day Finan, journeying in his carriage chanced on a great tree right across the way so that the carriage could
¶6] Another day a boy, paralysed in foot and hand and every limb was brought to Finan, and his help was besought. He took the child on the spot and said to him ‘Rise in God's name and be whole.’ The boy rose at Finan's word and was whole. Another day thirst took Finan, and he asked his servant for a drink of water. ‘Far off is water from this place’, said the servant. ‘Raise the crozier and strike its foot into the earth and give me water’ [said Finan]. The servant did so, and a spring of water sprang up after the point of the crozier, and the servant gave water from it to Finan. Another day very great fear took hold on Corkaguiney by reason of Nechtan who was coming to ravage and to harry it. They sent messengers to Finan and begged him to come to help and save them from their enemies. Nechtan heard that Finan was coming to seek peace for Corkaguiney from himself, and he sent messengers to meet him who should forbid him to seek it, and tell him that he should not obtain it. Yet Finan came where Nechtan was; and since he could not get peace he asked a month's respite for his native country. He did not obtain it, and that being so he went to his own country and made holy water and gave it them to drink and said ‘Rise [against] their ravaging of your land and defend your country strongly, and leave it not to give battle to another host. If ye gain the victory be not puffed up and give glory to God who hath portioned it thus.’ Nechtan came with a mighty host to plunder and ravage the land. That great host were smitten [sword-pressed?] by a few men who were before the land; and six score of them were slain. The zeal of the proud king to waste the land waxed hotter. Said Finan ‘I
¶7] On a certain day while he was there the king's steward came to him and bade him and the fuel-servants bring each man his load of firewood to the king's fire. Nechtan and his followers rose and went after the firewood: and they went astray in the wood, and found no place for sleeping, he nor his people, that night but the hollow of a tree: and he took the fuel on his back in the morning to the king's house. When Nechtan perceived that everything Finan had prophesied to him was come to pass, he returned to his own land and country and came into Finan's presence, and knelt down and besought pardon for the wrong he had done of God and of Finan: and when Finan saw Nechtan's repentance and abasement, he prayed for him and his kingdom was given back again to him.
¶8] Another day an honest man who was in the land came to Finan and prayed him for his help for a great walk that it was necessary for him to accomplish in a short time. Finan lifted his hand and blessed the man so that he walked in three hours of the day another man's three days' journey.
¶9] Another day the lord of his country came to Kinnitty to Finan, and complained to him that he would lose his land and country unless he obtained eight serving women for the king as tribute, or unless the king got the price of them. ‘Stay in my house’ said Finan ‘till I find what God would do in that case.’ When he arose from his sleep in the morning he found the price of the eight serving women in treasure near him, and he told that to Finan. ‘Go’ said Finan, ‘and give that for thy land.’ He did so, and he proceeded with Finan's blessing, and he reached Corkaguiney that night — which was three or four days' distance from Kinnitty — and paid his debt at the right time. Another day Finan's followers were reaping in the autumn, and there came a great rain so that not a man in the country
¶10] Another day Finan when walking came upon a man bound, with people above him about to slay him. ‘For the love of God do not so’ said Finan: now they could not strike one blow at him on the prayer of Finan, and when the people who were there saw that, they let him away from them to God and to Finan.
¶11] Another day Finan went to Falvey king of Corkaguiney and prayed him to remit the heavy tax that he had on the land. ‘Though thou fastedst seven times for that’, said some of the king's counsellors, ‘thou shouldst not get the thing thou hast requested.’ ‘If I get it not’, said Finan, ‘a misfortune will be sent from heaven on its account.’ There came fire from heaven without delay and burnt the king's city and everyone who agreed with him. They brought a dumb boy to Finan and the king, and they prayed Finan to give him speech. He gave it him without loss of one word. The man of the king's followers who refused Finan with evil words repented, and gave everything that Finan asked of him. Finan blessed him and restored speech to his counsellor at the prayer of the king and those who were about.
¶12] Another day a cripple who was one year and a half lying was brought to Finan [who healed him] with a word, so that he was three days and three nights in one sleep. Finan gave trews to him, and bade him wear them every day; and that they would last him all his life, and the day he put them not on death would be near to him.
¶13] Another day when Finan was crossing a mountain the foot of his horse broke. He blessed it so that the bones fitted together and the horse was put into its place in the carriage, never so whole before! And he gave praise and thanks to God. Finan prayed the king for the release of a captive he had; the king's son was unwilling to release the captive. His speech was taken from him on the spot. Finan said to the king ‘If the captive be given to me, I will give speech to thy son.’ The king let the captive from him, and speech came without delay to the son, and he gave thanks to God. Great sickness took a monk of Finan's followers, so that he was a whole year
¶14] Another day when Finan was in the midst of a great multitude, there came a great rain to them that wet excessively the clothes of the people that were around. Not a drop touched the dress of Finan, and when those who were about him saw that, they gave praise and glory to God and to Finan.
¶15] Another day Finan came to visit Saint Muichealloch. He had two cows with one calf — the wolves had slain the calf of the other cow before — and Muichealloch gave orders to watch the surviving calf sharply for fear of the wolves. Said one of Finan's attendants ‘It will do it no hurt all the time Finan is in the town.’ The wolves came that night and killed the calf. One of his attendants told that to Finan. Finan went to the place of prayer and besought God. The wolf who killed the calf came on the spot to the cows as though he were a tame calf there, and the cows licked him as though it were their own calf that was there. ‘That will not be accepted from thee’ said Finan; ‘but bring a calf in the place of my calf which thou devouredst.’ The wolf departed and came in the morning with a pure white very beautiful calf to the cows, and stayed himself guarding the calf, and neither did himself, or suffered other beasts to do injury to the cows or to the calf. This Finan healed five men of paralysis, and gave speech to five dumb men after that. One day Finan came to a smith's forge, and the smith's pincers broke with the red-hot iron in its jaws. The smith asked Finan what he should do. ‘Take the iron’ said Finan, ‘and strike it.’ The smith did as Finan said, and the red-hot iron did him no hurt.
¶16] Another day Finan sent one of his attendants to fish in the lake that was in the meadow where his cows were, and said ‘A stranger is coming to us to-night.’ The messenger went and took three fish out of the meadow where the cows were,