Exile
Colmcille Leaving Ireland for Iona
Colour illustration showing St. Colmcille and two of his twelve fellow monks crossing from Ireland to Scotland in a wooden boat. Colmcille has a halo, indicating sainthood, and his left hand is raised in blessing. The two monks are rowing the boat through high waves. This illustration, by Clare Melinsky, appears on a Royal Mail stamp issued in 1997, the 1400th anniversary of Colmcille’s death on Iona.
Copyright the Royal Mail.Colmcille Leaving Ireland for Iona
Copyright the Royal Mail.
Copyright the Royal Mail.
Colmcille Leaving Ireland for Iona
Colour illustration showing St. Colmcille and two of his twelve fellow monks crossing from Ireland to Scotland in a wooden boat. Colmcille has a halo, indicating sainthood, and his left hand is raised in blessing. The two monks are rowing the boat through high waves. This illustration, by Clare Melinsky, appears on a Royal Mail stamp issued in 1997, the 1400th anniversary of Colmcille’s death on Iona.
Copyright the Royal Mail.
A Page from The Cathach of Colmcille
A page from the Cathach, the oldest extant Irish illuminated manuscript, containing Psalms 30, 10-105 and 13, and dated to the sixth century. Legend has it that Colmcille copied it from a psalter lent to him by St. Finian. A dispute over the ownership of the copy was resolved by the King of Tara in a very early copyright ruling: 'To every cow her calf, and to every book its copy.'
From the Colmcille 1400 file, Central Library.A Page from The Cathach of Colmcille
From the Colmcille 1400 file, Central Library.
From the Colmcille 1400 file, Central Library.
A Page from The Cathach of Colmcille
A page from the Cathach, the oldest extant Irish illuminated manuscript, containing Psalms 30, 10-105 and 13, and dated to the sixth century. Legend has it that Colmcille copied it from a psalter lent to him by St. Finian. A dispute over the ownership of the copy was resolved by the King of Tara in a very early copyright ruling: 'To every cow her calf, and to every book its copy.'
From the Colmcille 1400 file, Central Library.In 563, Colmcille and twelve monks sailed from Derry to the island of Iona. Iona is situated off the west coast of Scotland.
Colmcille was going into exile. The cause is said to have been his involvement in the Battle of Cúl Dreimhne in County Sligo.
The story is that Colmcille secretly copied a psalter belonging to St Finnian at Movilla. King Diarmaid was asked to determine the owner of the copy. King Diarmaid ruled as follows: 'To every cow her calf and to every book its copy.' This gave ownership to Saint Finnian.
Colmcille was very angry and he persuaded his royal kinsmen to rise up against Diarmaid. Over 3,000 warriors were killed in the battle. As a penance, Colmcille left Ireland forever.