Baring-Gould’s sources: There is great uncertainty as to the day on which this Irish Saint is commemorated. Some say Feb. 9th; some Feb. 3rd; and others Aug. 11th. She is mentioned in the Tripartite Life of S. Patrick. Her life, which exists only in a fragmentary condition, given by Colgan from an ancient imperfect MS., is of no authority.
The same caution must be renewed, which has been given so often in writing the lives of the Irish Saints,—not to trust the records we have, too implicitly. Doubtless, the main outline of their histories is true, but lively fancies, through many centuries, have filled those outlines with wondrous details which it is impossible to accept, and which have made an almost inextricable confusion in their history.
The virgin Athracta, was of noble race. She dedicated herself at an early age to God, and built a lodging where seven roads met, that she might have abundant opportunity of showing hospitality to wayfarers. She is said in her legend to have received the veil from the hands of S. Patrick [apostle of Ireland (5th century)], when he was founding a church in Druimnea. Lanigan says that this is a mistake, as S. Athracta did not live till some time in the sixth century. He adds, "The statements relative to her are indeed so contradictory that the period in which she flourished cannot be precisely ascertained. According to some accounts she was contemporary with S. Patrick. But we find her spoken of as living in the times of S. Corbmac, brother of S. Erin, and, consequently, in the sixth century. S. Nathy, that is, according to every appearance, Nathy of Achonry, who lived in the same century, is also mentioned as a contemporary of hers. On these grounds it may be fairly concluded that S. Athracta belonged to the same period. She is said to have been the daughter of Talan, of a princely family of Dalaradia, in Ulster, and sister of S. Coeman, of Aird-ne-Coemhain, a consanguinity which it would be difficult to reconcile with her having been a native of Ulster. Whatever were her family connexions, S. Athracta presided over a nunnery called Kill-Athracta (Killaraght), near the lake Techet, now Lough Cara, in the county of Sligo." [28]
The legend of the saint contains the following incidents, the first of which, as will be seen from what has been said above, it is impossible to reconcile with history:—
This virgin was of noble race; she dedicated herself at an early age to God, and built a lodging where seven roads met, that she might have abundant opportunity of showing hospitality to wayfarers. She received the veil from the hands of S. Patrick, at Dromanna, the modern Kill-Athractha, Connaught. The story goes that on a visit to the church, built there by the Holy Apostles, S. Patrick prepared to celebrate Mass, when it was discovered that his attendants had forgotten to bring a paten. He was, therefore, about to lay aside his vestments, when the virgin said, "Proceed, father! with God all things are possible." So he began the confession. Then, as Athracta knelt bowed forward, she felt something lightly fall on her shoulder, and she put up her hand, and lo! there was a paten resting upon it. She rose, and, going to the altar, handed it to S. Patrick. On one occasion the King of Connaught desired to build a strong castle, and for that purpose summoned all his vassals to contribute their assistance. Athracta in vain pleaded to be excused; the King roughly ordered her to take her part in the erection of his fortress. Then she, and her servants, and horses, went into the wood to cut timber and transport it. But her maid exclaimed, "Oh, if the stags drew our logs of wood, instead of these old broken-down horses, it would humble the King's pride." Then Athracta called the stags to her, and because the ropes or chains for dragging the timber were broken, she harnessed the stags to the felled trees by some of her long delicate hairs, and these proved as strong to draw the timber as the stags proved docile for the draught.
These quaint legends are, it must be repeated, on no account to be estimated above what they are worth.
