Aodh Buidhe Mac an Bhaird facts for kids

Aodh Buidhe Mac an Bhaird, also known as Hugh Ward, was an Irish Franciscan friar. He was born around 1593 and passed away on November 8, 1635. He was well-known as a poet, historian, and a writer of saints' lives (called a hagiographer). Many consider him the person who started the study of Irish archaeology.

Early Life and Studies

Aodh Buidhe Mac an Bhaird was born in Tirhugh, which is in County Donegal, Ireland. His family, the Mac an Bhairds, were known for their love of literature. They often served as the main historians, or ollamhs, for the O'Donnells, a powerful Irish family.

Mac an Bhaird studied in Connacht for six years with different teachers. In 1607, he left Ireland and went to Spain. In January 1612, he joined the Irish Franciscan college in Salamanca. His younger brother, Fearghal, also joined in 1615. There, he met Luke Wadding, who helped him become a Franciscan in 1616.

After finishing his studies and becoming a priest, he was sent to Paris to teach philosophy. In 1622, he became a lecturer at the Irish College of St. Anthony in Leuven, Belgium. On April 21, 1626, he was chosen as the head of the college, known as the rector.

His Important Work

Luke Wadding said that Mac an Bhaird was very smart and knew a lot about the Irish language and old Irish history. Another scholar, John Ponce, praised his lectures on philosophy and theology, saying he was one of the best writers of his time in these subjects.

However, Mac an Bhaird was most interested in Irish history and literature. He came up with the idea to publish the lives of Irish saints and other old Irish records. He was a pioneer, meaning he was one of the first, to start a school for Irish archaeology in the 1600s. This school was based at the Irish College of St Anthony.

In Salamanca, he talked about his plan with Wadding, who promised to help him with books from Spanish libraries. In Paris in 1623, he met Father Patrick Fleming, another skilled Irish scholar. They both wanted to collect information about the lives of Irish saints. Mac an Bhaird traveled around northern France, looking through old monastery libraries. Fleming sent him reports from libraries in France, Germany, and Italy.

When Mac an Bhaird arrived in Louvain, the College of St. Anthony had many talented Irish scholars. These included Aodh Mac Cathmhaoil, Antony Hickey, John Colgan, O'Docharty, and soon after, Br. Mícheál Ó Cléirigh.

Mac an Bhaird shared his big plan with them: to write a full history of Ireland, covering both its people and its church. He called this project Thesaurus Antiquitatum Hibernicarum, which means "Treasury of Irish Antiquities." The first step was to find original old Irish manuscripts or make copies of them. Father Fleming had already started this work in libraries across Europe.

Most importantly, they decided to send Br. Ó Cléirigh to Ireland in 1626. Ó Cléirigh came from a family of scholars, and his job was to collect Irish manuscripts there. Meanwhile, Mac an Bhaird worked on organizing and studying the documents that were sent to St. Anthony's. He looked into the origins of old lists of saints and historical records. He also regularly wrote to the early Bollandists – scholars like Henschenius, Rosweydus, and Papebroch – to discuss Irish history and saints.

John Bap. Sollerius called him "a very learned man and an excellent hagiographer." He also said that Mac an Bhaird's arguments proving that St. Rumold was born in Ireland were impossible to argue against.

Later Life and Legacy

When Mac an Bhaird died, he had several writings ready to be published. These were meant to be introductions to his large history project. William Reeves, a bishop, praised Mac an Bhaird and his fellow Franciscans for their important contributions to Irish archaeology.

Mac an Bhaird was buried in the college church. He left behind several works ready for publication, including:

• De nomenclatura hiberniae (About the names of Ireland)
• De statu et processu veteris in Hibernia reipublicae (About the state and progress of the old Irish republic)
• Martyrologium ex multis vetustis Latino-Hibernicum (A Latin-Irish list of martyrs from many old sources)
• Anagraphen magnalium S. Patricii (A record of the great deeds of St. Patrick)
• Investigatio Ursulanae expeditionis (An investigation into the expedition of St. Ursula)
• Acta S. Rumoldi (The Acts of St. Rumold)

These works also included important notes and discussions on historical and geographical topics. The Acta S. Rumoldi was published in Louvain in 1662 by one of Mac an Bhaird's students, Thomas O'Sheerin. Mac an Bhaird also wrote beautiful Latin hymns and poems. He wrote many poems in Irish that showed great feeling. Some of his Latin works were printed in the Acta S. Rumoldi.

See Also

• Irish College of St Anthony