Open [38.2 MB]

Ireland and the Making
of Britain
him with all honor to the church. Over the saint as he
walked a canopy made of wood was supported by four
men walking by his side lest the holy abbot, St. Colum-
cille, should be troubled by the crowds of brethren press-
ing upon him." The luster and glory of his work in
Scotland had then thrown a halo around him and sentiment
had changed greatly since, following Culdreimhne
a quarter of a century earlier, the Synod of Tailtenn had
sought to excommunicate him.
4.
COLUMCILLE AND HlS FRIENDSHIPS
Like Adamnan, Columcille had, despite the impulsive
and vehement temper that precipitated fierce wars even
after his departure to lona, a true genius for friendship.
His passionate devotion to his own family and clan
gleams alike in Adamnan and the other medieval litera-
ture that abounds concerning him. This excess of affec-
tion he imputed to himself as a fault. "So then Baithene
related to him the famous vision, to wit, three chairs seen
by him in heaven, even a chair of gold and a chair of
silver and a chair of glass. Columcille explained the
vision: 'Ciaran the Great, the wright's son, is the chair
of gold, for the greatness of his charity and his mercy.
Molaisse is the chair of silver because of his wisdom and
his piety. I myself am the chair of glass because of
my affection: for I prefer Gaels to (the other) men of
the world, and the kindred of Conall to the (other) Gaels,
and the kindred of Lugaid to the (rest of the) kindred
of Conall.' m
His extraordinary solicitude for the brethren who peo-
pled his foundations, which Adamnan so signally illus-
iL