The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1905-08-06
OLD CATHEDRAL or IONA.
tho Resteratisn u . Historical Island
,.,.,.7 Church.
From tAe paR NaH Gasstts.

from the P0U A0U Uo3sU<.
si1 years ago the late Duke Of Argyll
conveyed the whole Of the historic ruins on
tho Island Of Iona to trustees for the Church
Of Scotland His Grace had for nearly half 4
century taken deep personal interest In the
preservation Of the ecclesiastical and other
relics on the world famous island. and had In
particular spent considerable sums In pro-
serving the cathedral.
At the time he granted the deed of gift its
wallis had boen so strohStheno1 aud repaired
that he considered the building At to be re-
rooted. In the conveyance he dec Jared II
to be his wish that II should be reroofed and
restored 80 Is to admit OF It's being used for
public worship. and that tho other ruins should
be carefully preserved. On taking possession.
the trustees at once set about raising funds.
and the work Of restoration was begun.
StA6a and Iona are visited every summer
by thousands Of persons, attracted thither In
the one case by the natural wonders Of Fingal's
Cave and In the other by memories OF the great
apostle to the northern Plots. who. In the
sixth century. made this distant Hcbridean
Isle center Of devotion and OF learning.
The history of the little Isle begins In $50.
when COLUMBIA. crossing the narrow sea from
Ireland. landed on It's shore with twelve
disciples. Here tho small community built
waffle huts to live In and . chapel OF equally
frail ma terials In which to worship. The
work Of converting the northern Picts was
entered upon. Erude. their King, having
embraced Christianity under the preaching
of COLUMBIA. success became assured. Soon
the energies of the devoted missionary and
his disciples were taxed to the utmost. instruct
ing the ignorant and ministering to both the
spiritual and temporal necessities Of an over
increasing throng Of devotees. At intervals
they set out on expeditions for the evangelical
ton OF distant tribes. and the wave Of enthusi-
asm spread. and rose higher and higher
Churo he's were planted all over the country.
and faithful students. instructed and ordained
at the parent monastery. went forth to form
new centers Of spiritual influence.
When Columbia died. in so7. Iona had .
high reputation. and down to nearly the
end Of the eighth century the monastery
he had founded was one Of the most renowned
In the British Isles. In 7pS. however. the
buildings were burned by the fierce Morse
men. who also again and again during the
ninth and tenth centuries devastated tho
island. In the twelfth century, after the
suppression Of the Columbian Order 1.-THE
Culdees,. two Roman orders Of monks, Bene-
dictines and Ausustines. established them-
selves on Iona. and these hourished down
to the time Of the Scottish Reformation.
After that event the island. with its various
religious houses, passed into the possession
of the family Of Arsyll,
The most ancient of the ruins are those Of
st. Grams Chapel. The chapel. Of which
only the bare wallis now remain. IL thought
to have been built by the famous Queen
Msrg wife OF Malcolm Canmore and
sister OF Edgar AthelinE. and is also believed
to have been the hrst building of note on the
island. The cathedral ESQ 1t IL always styled.
althou Oh In strict accuracy II Is but the abbey
church, belongs to later period-the end OF
the twelfth century or the beginning OF tho
thirteenth. 1t must have been . building
OF considerable architectural pretensIons In
Its day. and In lts restoration an effort 10
being made to bring II as nearly as possible
what is believed to have been Its original
appearance.
OF the cloisters and the library IL library
30 reno wned TIA: Pope Plus v. was credited
With the intention to visit it, little re-
mains. These buildings stood 10 the north
OF the church, and at . short distance from
them was q nunnery. OF which only some
ruins now exist. Surrounding st. Oran's
Chapel 10 the famous burial place known
a. the Reileag Oran, whore lie kings OF
Scotland. of Pictland. Of Ireland. and even
of far OF Norway. For centuries the soil
Of Iona was regarded a. sacred. and burial
here was esteemed q high honor and . great
privilege, not only among the Celtic races
but also among those of Northern Europe
Tho tombstones In the Reileag Oran are CON-
sldered by many the most interesting relics
In Iona. 'Unquestionably they arc the most
ancient.
sSnfi aSs as sSoosSa.s 70 % s. I'D il
kon0r b. " churches, fnAn- >xu.su0unn -.