th they proceeded to cross the river; they signed the river with the
sign of Christ's cross and the waters stood on either hand and apart, so
that the dry earth appeared between. The side banks of water rose high
because there was no passage up or down, so that the ridges were very
elevated on both the sea and stream sides. The waters remained thus
till such time as all Mochuda's people had crossed. Mochuda himself was
the last to pass over and the path across was so level that it offered
no obstacle to foot-passengers or chariots but was like a level plain so
that they crossed dryshod, as the Jordan fell back for Josue the son of
Nun [Josue 3:17]. Soon as Mochuda had crossed over he blessed the waters
and commanded them to resume their natural course. On the reuniting
again of the waters they made a noise like thunder, and the name of the
place is The Place of Benedictions, from the blessings of Mochuda and
his people.
Next the glorious bishop, Mochuda, proceeded to the place promised to
him by God and the prophets, which place is the plain called
Magh-Sciath. Mochuda, with the holy men, blessed the place and
dedicated there the site of a church in circular form. There came to
them a holy woman named Caimell who had a cell there and she asked,
"What do you propose doing here, ye servants of God?" "We propose,"
answered Mochuda, "building here a little 'Lios' [enclosure] around our
possession." Caimell observed, "Not a little Lios will it be but a
great ['mor'] one (Lis-mor)." "True indeed, virgin," responded Mochuda,
"Lismore will be its name for ever." The virgin offered herself and her
cell to God and Mochuda for ever, where the convent of women is now
established in the city of Lismore.
As Colman Elo, alluded to already, promised, Mochuda found his burial
place marked out (consecrated?) by angels; there he and a multitude of
his disciples are buried and it was made known to him by divine wisdom
the number of holy persons that to the end of the world would be buried
therein. Lismore is a renowned city, for there is one portion of it
which no woman may enter and there are within it many chapels and
monasteries, and in which there are always multitudes of devout people
not from Ireland alone but from the land of the Saxons and from Britain
and from other lands as well. This is its situation--on the south bank
of the Avonmore in the Decies territory.
On a certain day there came a druid to Mochuda to ar
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