Beer in Finglas

What or who were the ‘Two Eyes of Ireland’ in the 8^th century? Were they two places or two people?

If two places, they are Tallaght and Finglas, both on the outskirts of Dublin but on opposite sides of the Liffey.

The eyes in Tallaght were those of Maelruan. Thanks to 8th century books like ‘The Monastery of Tallaght’, ‘The Rule of Tallaght’, Aengus’s ‘Record of Irish Saints’ and even the ‘Stowe Missal’ we have plenty of information on him. He was the founder of Tallaght Monastery and a leading force in the Celi De movement seeking to recover the simplicity and enthusiasm of the early Irish Church.  

In Finglas  the eyes were not those of its founder, Canice, though he is the one mentioned in the tourist information. He died in the 600s, two hundred years before Maelruan. He was known as a graduate of Finnian’s famous school at Clonard and one of the  ‘Twelve Pioneers of Ireland’ who had gone  on to found famous monastic schools around the county and overseas.  

However Canice probably spent little time in Finglas. He went on to found more famous centres at Aghaboe and Kilkenny.

The head of Finglas in Maeruan’s time was Dublitir. As his name, ‘Black Letter’, suggests he was a noted scholar, always up to his elbows in ink. As an enthusiastic member of Celi De he was in regular contact with Maelruan. I can imagine their two eyes watching each other across the Liffey as well as observing the progress of monastic reform around the country.   

One day Dublitir came to Maelruan to urge him to allow his monks to celebrate with beer on the three major feast days of the year.

Maelruan was not willing. He did not allow beer in his community because he believed ‘liquor causes forgetfulness of God’.

Dublitir replied, ‘Well, my monks shall drink it and they shall be in heaven along with yours’.

Dublitir is buried in Finglas old graveyard which is seldom open and has a sign that reassures visitors ‘there is nothing to see anyhow’. An ancient cross, ‘The Nethercross’, looks out over the wall as if to reassure people that this indeed had once been one of the ‘Two Eyes of Ireland’.

There should at least be a pub nearby offering black Dublitir Beer.     

 Photo:  The ‘Nethercross’ looks out from inside