Cainbhreathaigh, son of Conaire Cathbuadhaigh, son of Cairbre, son of
Eoghan, son of Fiacha Suighde, son of Felimidh Reachtmhar, son of
Tuathal Teachtmhar. The father of Declan was therefore Erc Mac Trein.
He and his wife Deithin went on a visit to the house of his kinsman
Dobhran about the time that Declan's birth was due. The child she
bore was Declan, whom she brought forth without sickness, pain or
difficulty but in being lifted up afterwards he struck his head
against a great stone. Let it be mentioned that Declan showed proofs
of sanctification and power of miracle-working in his mother's womb,
as the prophet writes:--"De vulva sanctificavi te et prophetam in
gentibus dedi te" [Jeremias 1:5] (Before thou camest forth out of the
womb I sanctified thee and made thee a prophet unto the nations).
Thus it is that Declan was sanctified in his mother's womb and was
given by God as a prophet to the pagans for the conversion of
multitudes of them from heathenism and the misery of unbelief to the
worship of Christ and to the Catholic faith, as we shall see later
on. The very soft apex of his head struck against a hard stone, as
we have said, and where the head came in contact with the stone it
made therein a hollow and cavity of its own form and shape, without
injury of any kind to him. Great wonder thereupon seized all who
witnessed this, for Ireland was at this time without the true faith
and it was rarely that any one (therein) had shown heavenly Christian
signs. "Declan's Rock" is the name of the stone with which the
Saint's head came into contact. The water or rain which falls into
the before-mentioned cavity (the place of Declan's head) dispels
sickness and infirmity, by the grace of God, as proof of Declan's
sanctity.

3. On the night of Declan's birth a wondrous sign was revealed to
all, that is to the people who were in the neighbourhood of the