Thought for the week: A look back to the pioneering role of St Columba in north-west Ireland

​Tomorrow, in many of our churches, Saint Columba will be remembered on his feast day.

​Rev Dr William Morton, Church of Ireland

​He was born on 7 th December 521 on the shores of Lough Gartan, an area of outstanding natural beauty in north-west Donegal. For some years in the 1990s I was rector of Conwal Union with Gartan, the latter parish containing his birthplace. Columba belonged to the Irish warrior aristocracy, and, if he hadn’t become a monk, most likely he would have been crowned High King of Ireland.

Despite his hasty temper and his assertiveness, he could also be gentle, humble and overflowing with Christian charity. Perhaps, that is why he had two names, one, Crimthann, meaning, the fox, and the other, Columcille, meaning 'Dove of the Church'. He was baptised at Templedouglas and spent most of his childhood around Kilmacrennan.

A disciple of St Finnian at Movilla in Co Down, Columba was made a deacon, and after further study in Dublin and in Meath, he was ordained priest. It is believed he established several monasteries in Ireland, among them one close to the site of St Columb’s cathedral, Londonderry in 546 AD..

It was Columba’s love of books which was to get him into serious trouble. He copied a book of psalms belonging to his old mentor Saint Finnian with the intention of keeping it to himself.

But Finnian, who disputed his right to keep the psalter, brought the issue to the High King, Diarmait mac Cerbaill, who ruled in favour of St Finnian, stating:: “To every cow its calf, to every book its copy.”

Columba’s kinsmen arose in his defence and a terrible battle, The Battle of Cúl Dreimhne, near Sligo, ensued in which 3,000 people were killed. Two years later, Columba sailed from Londonderry/Derry with 12 disciples in a currach, vowing never to set foot on Irish soil again.

Wracked with terrible guilt and anguish for the pain and violence he had caused, and threatened with ex-communication, Columba sought penance for the dreadful loss of life. He vowed that he would never look on the land of his birth again. In 563 AD he set sail with twelve followers and eventually landed on the Isle of Iona. It was from that little community on that small island that Christianity was taken to much of Scotland and northern England.

The success of Columba’s mission was due to many factors: God responded to his hard, relentless personal spiritual struggle. To the people among whom he ministered he was "one of themselves". They recognised in him many of the same weaknesses common among themselves: irascibility, vengefulness, a volatile nature – yet he was the epitome of kindness and generosity. And remember, too, humility. Now, as then, it goes a long way!