THE numerous bewildering and contradictory theories to be met with in
books, pamphlets, and reviews concerning St. Patrick's native country
are calculated to provoke a spirit of weary incredulity and impatience.
However, when presenting this book to the public, we may quote the late
Canon O'Hanlon's plea for adventurous writers who still endeavour to
solve the problem: "The question of St. Patrick's country," writes the
distinguished author of the "Lives of the Irish Saints," "has an
interest for all candid investigators far beyond the claim of rival
nations for the honour it should confer. It has been debated, indeed,
with considerable learning and earnestness both by Irish and foreign
writers; yet, as Ireland does not prefer any serious claim to the
distinction, of which she might well feel proud, so can Irishmen afford
to be impartial in prosecuting such an enquiry" (St. Patrick, March
17th).
From a patriotic point of view it might be urged that, although
innumerable books and pamphlets have been written on our subject, not
one too many has seen the light, inasmuch as each of them has served in
a greater or lesser degree to keep the memory of our great Apostle ever
fresh in our minds.
We are deeply indebted to the Rev. Professor Leilleux, who is
at present engaged in writing a "History of the Diocese of
Boulogne-sur-Mer," and to the Abbe Massot, chaplain to the Little
Sisters of the Poor in that town, for having clearly proved to us that
ancient Bononia was called "Bonauen," and Caligula's tower--Turris
Ordinis--was called "Nemtor" by the Gaulish Celts. These discoveries go
far to show that the Apostle of Ireland was a native of ancient Bononia,
now called Boulogne-sur-Mer.
Colgan, who published his "Trias Thaumaturga" in 1647, assures us in
his fifth Appendix, chapter i., that there was an old tradition in
Armorica that St. Patrick was a native of that province; and the same
author adds that several Irish writers adhered to that opinion. This
book, therefore, does not seek to formulate a new theory; its only
object is to gather together many of the records which tend to prove
that St. Patrick was born in Armorican Britain.
Our most grateful thanks are also due to the Very Rev. Canon Gildea,
D.D., M.R., who has kindly read through this book for the "Nil obstat";
and to the courteous Curator of the Library and Museum at Boulogne for
permitting us to make a sketch of Caligula's famous tower and
lighthouse, which was called Turris Ordinis or Turris Ardens by the
Romans, and Nemtor or Nemthur by the Armorican Britons.