e which lay across it. Owing to the
density of underwood at either side they were unable to proceed. Some
one announced:--"There is a tree across the road before us, so that we
cannot advance." Mochuda said: "In the name of Christ I command thee,
tree, to rise up and stand again in thy former place." At the command
of Mochuda the tree stood erect as it was originally and it still
retains its former appearance, and there is a pile of stones there at
its base to commemorate the miracle.

It was necessary to proceed; the first night after Mochuda's departure
from Rahen the place that he came to was a cell called Drum Cuilinn
[Drumcullen], on the confines of Munster, Leinster, and Clanna Neill,
but actually within Clanna Neill, scil.:--in the territory of Fearceall
in which also is Rahen. In Drum Cuilinn dwelt the holy abbot,
Barrfhinn, renowned for miracles. On the morrow Mochuda arrived at
Saighir Chiarain [Seirkieran] and the following night at the
establishment where Cronan is now, scil.:--Roscrea. That night Mochuda
remained without entertainment although it was offered to them by Cronan
who had prepared supper for him. Mochuda refused however to go to it
saying that he would not go out of his way to visit a man who avoids
guests and builds his cell in a wild bog far from men and that such a
man's proper guests are creatures of the wilderness instead of human
beings. When Cronan heard this saying of Mochuda he came to the latter,
by whose advice he abandoned his hermitage in the bog and he, with
Mochuda, marked out the site of a new monastery and church at Roscrea.
There he founded a great establishment and there he is himself buried.
Mochuda took leave of Cronan and, travelling through Eile [Ely
O'Carroll], came to the royal city named Cashel. On the following day
the king, scil.:--Failbhe [Failbhe Flann], came to Mochuda offering him
a place whereon to found a church. Mochuda replied:--"It is not
permitted us by God to stay our journey anywhere till we come to the
place promised to us by the holy men."

About the same time there came messengers from the king of Leinster to
the king of Munster praying the latter, by virtue of league and
alliance, to come to his assistance as Leath-Chuinn and the north were
advancing in great force to ravage Leinster. This is how Failbhe was
situated at the time: he had lost one of his eyes and he was ashamed to
go half-blind into a strange territory. As soon as Mochuda