CLOSE by the broad Lough Gartan, lying east of rocky and heathery mountains in Co Donegal, St Columcille was born on Thursday, December 7th, 521 AD. His lineage was royal, as he was the great great grandson of Niall of the Nine Hostages, who was the first High King of Ireland (from 397 to 405 AD). His mother was named Eithne who, according to tradition, was divinely inspired to go to Gartan for Columcille's birth. The name is a combination of Colum, meaning a dove (which is why he is called Columba in Latin), while the "cille" part derives from the Irish word for church.
But it was not his first name. He was christened Criomhthann, meaning fox, by the priest who baptised him. He lived with the same priest, Cruithneachan, as his fosterson. It was the custom at the time that children of ruling class families were fostered out, to help bind relations between them.
From early in his life Colmcille was determined to be a priest and monk. He went to study with St Finian at Moville, on Strangford Lough in Co Down, where he was ordained a deacon. He took up bardic studies later with St Finian of Clonard, where he was ordained a priest. It was at Clonard he met and befriended Ciaran, who later founded Clonmacnoise. Both of them ended up at Glasnevin in Dublin where St Mobhi had a monastic school.
However, their stay there was brief as bubonic plague, then sweeping Europe, arrived in Glasnevin (around 544/5). One of its victims was St Mobhi, who, before he died, closed the monastery and dispersed his students so they might escape infection. Colmcille returned to Donegal.
In 546 AD he decided to found a monastery, and was donated a hill covered with oak trees by the High King, Aodh Mac Ainmhireach. The area became known as Doire Columcille, (the Oak wood of Colmcille) from which the city of Derry has taken its name. With Derry secure he headed homewards to Raphoe in Donegal, where he founded a monastery which was to last well into the Middle Ages and which gives the present diocese its name.
From Raphoe he went to Durrow, near Tullamore in Co Offaly, where in later years the monks produced the high cross which still stands there, and the Book of Dorrow with its illustrated gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. Then he went to Kells in Co Meath, establishing the monastery which 200 years later was to produce the Book of Kells.
After Kells his next monastery was set up at Clonmore in Co Meath, then one at Lambay Island, and the other on the mainland just opposite at a place called "sord" (from an old Irish word meaning pure, which was a description of the water in a well there). The monastery became Sord Columcille, better known as Swords (Co Dublin) today.
Moving south he set up further monasteries at a place called Druim Monach, the location of which is not known today, and at Moone in Co Kildare, also noted for its high cross. Colmcille then decided to head northwards again, visiting Clonmacnoise en route and founding churches and monasteries at Drumcliffe, Drumcolum, Tory Island, Glencolumcille, and Temple Douglas. In all it is estimated that this journey, trailing monasteries in his wake, took the saint about 15 years. But things were to take a sudden turn for the worse for Columcille.
Finian, abbot of a monastery at Dromin in Co Louth, had a particularly attractive book of psalms. Colmcille copied the book secretly, but was discovered. Finian accused Colmcille of breaking the law. Colmcille said he had broken no law, claimed the copy as his own, and suggested both go to the High King, Diarmaid Mac Cearrbheoil. He decided that "to every cow its calf, to every book its copy." Colmcille would not accept the judgment. He felt deeply aggrieved. This feeling was intensified when the high king had Curnan, the son of the king of Connacht, killed. The boy, who was fostered to the high king ran to Columcille for protection when he killed another youth during a hurling match. Diarmaid (the high king was so angered at what the youth had done he had him taken from Colmcille's care and killed him.
Colmcille went to his own people in Donegal and persuaded them to join forces with the men of Connacht to fight the high king. The battle took place in 561 AD at Cooldrevny, on the slopes of Ben Bulben in Co Sligo. He prayed for the success of "his" forces, while St Finian prayed for the Diarmaid's men. The high king's men were routed, and 3,000 killed. The copy of Finian's book was handed back to Colmcille, and became known as the Cathach, the Battle Book. But it was a hollow victory for Colmcille. He found himself isolated among the holy men of Ireland, who felt he was not justified in being responsible for the deaths of so many. They excommunicated him in 562 AD. On appeal by St Brendan of Birr, this was withdrawn, but the effect on Colmcille was profound. He decided there was no future in Ireland for him. He returned to Derry and prepared to leave.
In spring 563 AD he departed, heartbroken, for Scotland in a boat with 12 men. He was 42. On June 9th, 563 AD they landed at Iona. He began setting up a monastery, aided by Irish colonists who lived in the Dal Riada area of western Scotland. They had come from Antrim originally. As the years passed Colmcille's reputation grew as did the monastery and the numbers of its monks. Other monasteries were founded on nearby islands. He also led the way in converting the Picts, who lived in eastern Scotland. A biography of the saint, The Life of St Columha, which deals mainly with the Iona years, was written by St Adamnan (Eunan).
He returned to Ireland just once, in 575 AD. That was for the synod of Druim Ceat, near Derry, where he was asked to mediate between the High King of Ireland and an increasingly independent Dal Riada. He also took it upon himself to end the illtreatment of one of the high king's hostages and lend his weight to improving the status of Ireland bards and poets, then a thorn in the side of Ireland's rulers. He was successful in all three.
He returned to Iona and continued laying the foundations for the Christianisation of Britain, which continued after his death June 9th 597.
