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Ireland and the Making
of Britain
How swiftly we glide! there is a grey eye
Looks back upon Erin, but it no more
Shall see while the stars shall endure in the sky
Her women, her men, or her stainless shore.
The missionary labors of Columcille in Scotland, in
collaboration with his devoted colleagues, extended over
the remaining period of his life. The island of Hy was
donated to him by King Conall, his kinsman, and there
he established his celebrated monastery of lona. The
Scoti or Irish already in Scotland were nominally Chris-
tians ; the Picts were not. Hence the conversion of these
latter formed the grand project for the exercise of mis-
sionary exertion and Columcille applied himself with
characteristic energy to the task. He visited the Pictish
king in his fortress, won his esteem, overcame the opposition
of his ministers, and planted Christianity in the
province. He lived thirty-four years at lona, and it is
with his work with the island as a center and with his
life after he had gone there that the biography of Adam-
nan mainly deals,
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