ve thanks to God and to
Declan when they came to know that it was he who wrought it. Now the
place where the castle stands is not far from the Suir, i.e. on the south
side of it and the place from which Declan cast the staff is beside a
ford which is in the Suir or a stream which flows beside the monastery
called Mag Laca [Molough] which the holy virgins, daughters of the king
of Decies, have built in honour of God. There is a pile of stones and a
cross in the place to commemorate this miracle.

42. On another occasion there approached a foreign fleet towards
Declan's city and this was their design--to destroy and to plunder it of
persons and of cattle, because they (the foreigners) were people hostile
to the faith. Many members of the community ran with great haste to tell
Declan of the fleet which threatened the town and to request him to beg
the assistance of God against the invaders. Declan knew the man amongst
his own disciples who was holiest and most abounding in grace, scil.,
Ultan, already mentioned, and him he ordered to pray to God against the
fleet. Ultan had pity on the Christian people and he went instantly, at
the command of Declan, in front of the fleet and he held his left hand
against it, and, on the spot, the sea swallowed them like sacks full of
lead, and the drowned sailors were changed into large rocks which stand
not far from the mouth of the haven where they are visible (standing)
high out of the sea from that time till now. All Christians who
witnessed this rejoiced and were glad and they gave great praise and
glory to God and to Declan their own patron who caused the working of
this miracle and of many other miracles besides. Next there arose a
contention between Ultan and Declan concerning this miracle, for Ultan
attributed it to Declan and Declan credited it to Ultan; and it has
become a proverb since in Ireland when people hear of danger or
jeopardy:--"The left hand of Ultan against you (the danger)." Ultan
became, after the death of Declan, a miracle-working abbot of many other
holy monks.

43. The holy and glorious archbishop, i.e. Patrick, sent one of his own
followers to Declan with power and authority (delegation) from the
archbishop. And proceeding through the southern part of Decies he was
drowned in a river [the Lickey] there, two miles from the city of Declan.
When Declan heard this he was grieved and he said: "Indeed it grieves me
that a servant of God and of Patrick w