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Ireland and the Making
of Britain
Asterius, bishop of Genoa; but on his arrival in Britain
he entered first the nation of the Gewissae and, finding
all there most confirmed pagans, he thought it better
to preach the word of God there, then to proceed further
to seek for others to preach to. Now as he preached in
the aforesaid province it happened that the king himself,
having been catechized, was baptized together with his
people, and Oswald, the most holy and victorious king
of the Northumbrians, being present, received him as
he came forth from baptism and by an alliance first
adopted him thus regenerated for his son, and then took
his daughter in marriage. The two kings gave to the
bishop the city called Dorcic there to settle his episcopal
see; where, having built and consecrated churches and by
his labor called many to God, he departed this life and
was buried in the same city; but many years after, when
Hedda was bishop, he was translated thence to the city
of Winchester and laid in the church of the blessed apos-
tles, Peter and Paul. 1
This Birinus appears to have been an Irishman, who
had passed a number of years on the Continent Birinus
would seem to be a Romanized form of the Irish name
Brain, which is pronounced and usually Anglicized
Byrne, Burn, or Byron.
Birinus may have been associated, as Bishop Forbes of
Brechin suggests, with the Irish Scots of the west of North
Britain, where the parish of Kilbirnie is suggestive of his
name. There is also a Kilbirnie loch in the parish of
Beith; there is a parish of Dumbarney in Strathearn, and
his name may also be preserved in the spur of the Chil-
terns, called Berin's Hill.
Birinus was not succeeded by an Irishman, but he was
iHist. EccL III, VIL
242