Saint Colmcille
St Colmcille was born in Gartan, near Letterkenny in Co. Donegal
in 521 A.D. He was a decendant of Niall of the Nine Hostages, his
father was a prince of Tir Conaill and his mother was a princess
of Leinster. He was christened Criomhthann, and placed under the
care of the priest who baptised him. He was permitted to play with
children from the neighbouring village on one day per week, and
when he came into sight, they shouted: "here comes Colmcille".
[Colmcille means the dove of the Church]. When the priest heard
this name, he decided that it was God's will that the child should
be called this name, and that his baptismal name should be forgotten.
Colmcille was sent to the monastery of St Finian at Moville to
further his education, and then he learned the art of poetry in
Leinster from Gemman, his master. He visited the monastery of Clonard
in Co. Meath and he was ordained a priest. After his ordination,
he studied for a time at the monastery of St Moibhí at Glasnevin.
He returned to Donegal and was given a grant of land on the shores
of Lough Swilly where he built a church and founded the monastery
of Doire Colmcille. After seven years, he set about founding other
monasteries in places such as Kells, Durrow and Lambay.
Colmcille came to Swords in the year 560 A.D. and chose a site
for an abbey overlooking the river where St Columba's now stands.
The Abbey lands took in all of the modern River Valley parish, Brackenstown,
Balheary as well as Swords. It consisted of a large church, with
separate cells for the monks to live in. There was also a school,
a mill, grain house and guesthouse.
While in Swords, Colmcille copied without permission a book of
psalms belonging to his former teacher, St Finian of Moville. Finian
demanded that the copy be given to him because it had been unlawfully
obtained. Colmcille refused to give the copy to Finian, and the
matter was referred to King Diarmuid of Tara. The King decided in
Finian's favour, saying "with every book its own book as with
every cow her calf." Colmcille was displeased with this ruling,
and he refused to return the book. The dispute over the book resulted
in the Battle of Cooldriona in Connaught in 563 A.D. Three thousand
lives were lost and Colmcille was so upset at what he had done,
that he left Ireland as a penance and founded a monastery at Iona
off the coast of Scotland. It is said that he only returned to Ireland
once when he was asked to intercede on behalf of the bards at the
Convention of Drumceat. He died in Iona on 9 June 597, and his remains
were brought back to Ireland and buried in Downpatrick.
His feast day is celebrated on 9 June, and when 600 years after
his death, the privilege of holding a fair in Swords was granted
to the Archbishop of Dublin by King John, the day chosen was the
feast day of St Colmcille.
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