The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1904-04-16
AN HISTORIC SPOT.
Monks of Grande Chartreuse and the
Island of Iona.

Island of Iona.
Ian J. McGarvey, writing in The
Holy Family for March, says:
History may repeat itself in way
ing driven from their monasteries in
France, succeed in making their home
in the historic island of Iona, for
which they have been negotiating with
the Duke of Argyle the owner Of the
greater part of the property.
The Carthusians, like other relig
ban of persecution. now being pressed
so mercilessly in France, must seek
another field for their pious labors
They have lived life of retirement
in remote spot in the APPS that is in
IL way like Iona, surrounded by naked
rocks and sterile knolls; buried for
tue greater portion of the year by ava
lanches of snow. None know, perhaps
better than the Carthusians, of the
sacred history of Iona, and for those
who desire to live apart from the tur
moil of material life, spiritually and
religiously, Iona offers exceptional op-
portunities. Iona, with it's beautiful
history of the work of the Celtic mis-
Ssionaries, is led by Colmkille; dear to
the world as Westminster is to the
British. The monks of Iona had
spread the gospel of Christianity in
Europe many centuries before the Car
thusians had established monastery
in the Alps when they became known
as the monks of Chartreuse.
Strange as it may appear, only a
small percentage of the visitors to the
ISLAND of Iona are of the Catholic faith,
but Protestants, as well as Catholics,
find much to admire in the story Of the
pious Colmkille and of those who sue
seeded him in his holy labors of bet
fering mankind spiritually. The writ
er was one of a party Of tourists who
visited Iona several years ago, and
was afforded the pleasure of rambling
in the ancient churchyard, where
tombs are preserved with religious
.solicitudc; some of which are kings
killed by the wrath Of Jealous wives.
Kings who died in the arms of the old
church before the advent of Protest
santisnl. and of chiefs of the clans Of
ahe isles who fought themselves out of
existence in fractional wars, instigated
by British emissaries who caused re-
ligious discord in Ireland for centuries.
but who had not succeeded as they did
i'll Scotland. 1t is Il question if there
is another island in the world that is
us well known to historians and to lit
erary folk as Iona with it's pathetic
history 1t is Off the west coast of
Scotland, eight miles from Staffa, and
about one and Il half miles from Null
the anchorage port of which is Bunes-
san. and which is separated from it
by the Sound of Iona. The length of
che island is about three and one-half
and one and One-lalf miles
wide. After the little steamer
is boarded ut Null she begins pound
lng her way through the strait and
A..H craggy and precipitous peaks Of
IONA loom up in the distance, as il
trying to force themselves out of their
positions of centuries, but at the same
dime standing like impregnable barri-
t,ades between sea and land.
Along the northeastern part of the
sunst stray patches of green rable sail
alternate with irregular elevations
(which end in the northern part of the
ISLAND. The visitor is impressed with
the utter loneliness of the island as he
sees it from the deck of the vessel,
hut its deficiency in natural beauty Is
s,f the distant mountains of Skye and
~f the waves of the Atlantic beating
themselves out of existence against the
B)onderOus rocks on the coast.
Facing the port where our steamer
y)ut in is the town Of Iona. or, as it is
called by the Gaelic residents, "Balla
AIor," or the big town. All Scotland
fms not been anglicized, for the Ian
guage of Colmkille is spoken fluently
IN The little island when the conditions
under which the inhabitants have
lived for years is considered. The
writer, though not a Gaelic scholar,
was surprised at the similarity of the
Gaelic spoken by the islanders and
that in vogue in Tirconnell, the Don
egal highlands, where he had visited
several weeks before. He could I'M
tlerstand the Ionians by listening care
fully, and make himself understood in
the Donegal Gaelic, which he was
taught in the central part of Pennsyl-
wania when boy by natives of DON
egal, who are descendants of the clans
men of the dauntless Red Hugh, Of
1lrconnell.
After landing from the boat the Wis
itor walks along Il narrow street,
which reminds him of some of the old
settlements in the interior Of Penn
,sylvania, and he is ushered into st.
'Columbia's hotel, hostelry named af-
ter the great missionary. The village
hooks gruesome to those who have
never seen it before. There are the