Baring-Gould’s sources: Irish Martyrologies. Authority.-—Mention in the tripartite life of S. Patrick, and in the other lives of the Apostle of Ireland.] In Carlow lived, at the time that S. Patrick was preaching the faith in Ireland, a chief bard, named Dubtach, with whom he had contracted a warm friendship. There is lit i3 Oct. xa.] S. Fieck.

…nothing in legend more poetic than the meeting between the Gallo-Roman apostle and the Irish bards, who formed an hereditary and sacerdotal class. Among them he found his most faithful disciples. Ossian himself, the blind Homer of Ireland, is said to have allowed himself to be converted by him, and Patrick is reported to have listened in his turn as he sang the long epic of Keltic kings and heroes. Harmony was not established between these two without being preceded by storms. Patrick threatened with hell the profane warriors whose glory Ossian vaunted, and the bard replied to the apostle, “ If thy God were in hell, my heroes would draw him thence.” But triumphant truth made peace between poetry and faith. The monasteries Patrick founded became the asylum and centre of Keltic poetry. “ When once blessed and transformed,” says an old author, “the songs of the bards became so sweet, that the angels of God leant down from heaven to listen to them.” 1 S. Patrick [apostle of Ireland (5th century)] visited Dubtach the arch-bard, father, more over, of the blessed Bridget, and in one of their conversations the saint asked his friend if he knew any one in that country whom he could promote to holy orders [ordination; “orders” means the sacrament by which deacons, priests and bishops are ordained]. Dubtach answered that he had a disciple named Fiech, a sweet singer and harpist, then absent, who was a modest, Godfearing man. Before the conversation was ended Fiech returned from Connaught, whither Dubtach had sent him to present some poems of his composition to the princes of that province. Fiech was of an illustrious family, being son of Ere, of the house of Hy-Bairrch in Leinster. He was a widower, left with an only son, named Fiacher. He was not yet baptized, but he was a catechumen [a person preparing for baptism]. S. Patrick examined him, gave him the washing of regeneration, and the tonsure [shaving part of the head as a sign of entering the clergy or monastic life], and after some time ordained him bishop. His see was at Sletty, and he is said also to have governed a monastery, 1 Quoted by La Villemarqut, “ La Llgende Celtique,” p. 109. which was called Domnach-Fiech, at the east of the Barrow', in Carlow. He had a monastery as well at Sletty, which was his own patrimony. He lived to an extremely advanced age, and it is said that sixty of his disciples departed this life before him. It is therefore probable that he died at the very beginning of the 6 th century.