The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1897-06-19
ST. COLUMBIA, AN IRISH MISSIONARY
AND A LONELY EMILE.
A SCION OF The ROYAL o'NEILLs.
AN INTERESTING SKETCH OF THE
SANITY POET-PATRIOT,
Sc If BAhISHMEHT FROM HIBERnIA.
HIS VERSES ARE CHOICE RELICS OF
ANCIENT LITERATuNE.

DOTH Ol the family Oh tne Mails us
ually called O'Neills, of the clan Domh-
mall, masters of the northwest of Ire
land, who held sway during six CEN
turtles over the Scottish shores of Hiber-
mia and Caledonia. kinsman of famous
Red Hugh in the time of Queen Eliza
beth, Columbia was prominent in the
line Of inheritance of the crown, which
In the palace of Tara was above all the
principalities in the Island, says Rich
ard Nj. Johnston in the Rosary. His
mother was a princess OF Leinster.
Shown till today is the stone wheron
she lay her head when, after dream
that she was to give birth to a prophet
of God. he came into the world. Ira
dition handed down that, in the period
OF boyhOod, his guardian angel ap-
pearing to him, asked what he most de-
sired, and he answered: Chastity and
Wisdom. Shortly afterwards. MS he
was meditating, three beautiful maidens
came and knelt at his feet. Turning
his face away with displeasure and
fear, they recalled his attention, and de-
clared that they were Virginity, Wis
dom and Prophecy. Then they van
ished from his view. He rose, and
went straightway to supplcmcnting the
work of Patrick and Bridget, not many
years back departed. BY the time he
was five and twenty years of age he had
founded thirtyseven monastcries, the
largest at Derry, exile from which in
after years produced some of the most
touching poetry ever composed
Columbia, like the other bards of his
time, was Of restless disposition. un-
der promptings Of which he was often
on his travels from place to place in his
native country. In youth he had
studied under Finnian, Il holy abbot
Years later while on Il visit to him in
his monastery at Clonard, being i'm
pressed by beautiful Ps;lltcr in the
latter's possession. he asked liberty of
making a copy, and was astonishcd and
indignant ut the refusal. lmpulsive
and imperious by nature, he determined
to carry out his purpose, without the
Abbots consent, and the copy was made
in the deep Of night, while the owner
was asleep. Regarding this as an out
rage upon his rights, Finnlan appealed
to the king. Diarmid. at Tara, for re-
dress. This is probably the Oldest ease
of copyright in existence. The king,
although COLUMBIA was n kinsman, de-
cided the issue in favor of Finnan, us
ing the simple metaphor: "To every
COW her calf"
TO this judgment COLUMBIA gave re-
luctant submission, but it served to
render more rancorous his anger, when
sometime afterwards the king seized
upon and had executed young prince
of Connaught, who, for a crime invol-
UNFAIRLY committed, had fled to him for
conccalmcnt and protection. Fired
with resentment, he excited to war an
other branch of the O'Nialls, equally his
knsmen; a battle was fought in which
Diarmid was defeated, and many on
both sides were slain. Such conduct
seemed to the Irish hierarchy an atroci-
GUS violation of pous obligations, and
at synod nt Teiltc he was solcmnly
eXcommunicatcd.
In time the sentence was withdrawn,
for it was revealed to many of the most
holy among the priesthood that he was
destined by Heaven for great service
in the conversion Of the heather. Moth
withstanding that he had earnestly
prayed for the victory in the last battle,
he was torn with concern for the souls
It's angry strife. 1t was Il period when
the Creator made Himself manifest to
many a priest whose names were after
wards enrolled among the saints. IIith-
er and thither. from monastery to
monastery, he journeyed, bcseechng
prayers for the departed. Assurance
came to him in time, that they had been
released from Purgatory. Then fol-
lowed the announcement of sentence to
his pcnance. 1t was imposed by a dear
friend. Molaise, ruins of whose monas-
terry are yet to be seen on Innishmurry,
small island off the coast of the city
of Sligo. This was that he should con-
vert a number of pagans equal to those
who had fallen in the battle between
the two Clans Of Mall. and, what was
far more heavy upon him, that he
should undergo perpetual exile from his
native country. Rising from his pros
tration, he answered.: What thou
hast commanded shall be DONE"
1t was after this that his exquisite
poetic geEius poured itself forth Only
God knows the agony of great soul
in leaving forever the places beloved
from childhood. wherein are remind
ers everywhere of the glorics of his
ancestors. Of the numberless Joys OF
every sort held within q breast born to