From Lanigan's An Ecclesiastical History of Ireland, at chaps. v and vii.
If we are to believe the Tripartite the church of Elphin was founded about this time and the place for it is said to have been given to St. Patrick by a magus called Ono. Over this church was placed Asicus who became a bishop but certainly not as early as the time we are now treating of (84) Bronus, bishop of Caissel irra, West Cashel in Co Sligo, is spoken of also in this part of our saint's history but although a disciple of St. Patrick as was also Asicus or Asacus (85) he did not become a bishop until several years after this period. (86)
Footnotes
(84) It is impossible in following the history of St Patrick as given in the Lives to determine the true times of the foundation of most of our ancient sees or of the first bishops It becomes therefore necessary to treat of them under a distinct head which will be found lower down
(85) Tirechan's list ap Usher p 951
(86) Bron was bishop in St Brigid's time and died AD 511. 512 Tr Th p. 176
Asacus or as others call him Asicus is one of those whom a very old tradition acknowledges as a bishop in that early period of the Irish church He was placed at Elphin and according to some accounts as bishop (50) by St. Patrick. It is however doubtful whether he was one during the saint's life time. It is related of him that through a penitential spirit he withdrew from his diocese and retired to the mountain Sliebhliag Slieve league in Donegal where after a considerable time he was discovered by his disciples. He could not be prevailed on to return to his see but went with them to a solitary place and when dead was buried at Rath cunga (51) barony of Tyrhughin said county.
Patrick placed Asicus at Elphin. But it does not state whether he was then a bishop or not. According to the chronology of the Tripartite, Asicus would have been fixed at that place about AD 437 (see Chap v sect ix) at which time he could not have been a bishop. After some words we read in said passage "Assicus sanctus episcopus fuit faber acris Patricii" Here he is called bishop but the addition of his having worked in brass for St. Patrick would seem to indicate that his promotion did not take place until after at least the foundation of Armagh, when the saint having a permanent residence had occason to employ him. Next we may suppose that he was not made bishop of Elphin until after he had ceased to work at Armagh, as he must have resided in his diocese. The passage above referred to may, I think, be explained in the following manner. Asicus was placed at Elphin when a priest by St. Patrick, not many years after the commencement of his mission when Armagh was founded, he was summoned thither to assist in making utensils for the use of the church afterwards but whether before or after the death of the saint cannot be ascertained he became bishop of Elphin. Next to Asacus is mentioned Bitheus concerning whose episcopacy some doubts might be entertained were he not mentioned in quotations from old documents as a bishop and contemporary with Bronus and Asacus who was his uncle (52) This last circumstance is sufficient to show that he did not beeome a bishop until after St Patrick's death for if it is doubtful whether the uncle was one at so early a period we may conclude that the nephew was not. Where his see or church was I cannot rightly discover (53) He is said to have been buried at Rath cunga (54) where his uncle's remains had been deposited.
Footnotes
(51) Tripart L 2 c 40 Archdall makes Rathcunga an abbey founded by St. Patrick and refers to Colgan But neither he nor the Tripartite mentions St. Patrick founder of an abbey there. At most they attribute to him the erection of a church at Rath cunga See Chap vi n But whatever was the religious house in that place it owed its origin at the earliest to the followers of Asicus.
(52) Tripart L 2 c inr Compare with ib c 39 and 43
(53) The Tripartite has L 2 c 52 St Bronius S Biteus de Caissel ira Bronius was certainly bishop of that place but do these words mean that Biteus was also bishop thereof. If so he was not appointed to it until at the earliest AD 512 the year in which Bronius died and accordingly must have been very young when a disciple of St Patrick. Or is there a transposition in the text so as that it should be read St Bronius de Caissel ira S Biteus &c
(54) Tripart L 2 c iii
