13. The Council Of Drunceat

With twelve other monks Colmcille landed on the little rocky island of Iona, off the coast of Scotland. It was a wild and lonely place. The only sound to be heard was the thunder of waves and cries of the seagulls. Yet they stayed on Iona and built their first monastry there. Each day was spent in prayer and fasting, in digging the rocky fields and tending the cattle and sheep which gave them milk and wool.

Early one morning a messenger from the High King of Ireland came to Colmcill'e little island. The monks eagerly questioned the stranger, for they had heard no news of their native land for many years. There were many changes in Ireland, he told them, since they had last been there. The Fili had become proud and powerful and were demanding very high rewards for their work. They were now such a burden on the people of Ireland that many chieftains thought they should be banished from the country. At last the High King had ordered that a great Council he held at Drunceat to decide what should be done with them. It was the King's wish. the messenger told them, that Colmcille should attend this important Council.

But Colmcille remembered th vow he had made : never again could he set eyes on his native land. The messenger was silent for a while when he heard of this vow. Then he looked at the saint and siad : " You can attend the Council if you blindfold youself ; you vow will not be broken, for you will not see you native land. "

Colmcille agreed and went on board the royal boat for the voyage back to Ireland. With all his heart he longed to see once more the land he loved so well. But his vow must not be broken. Before he landed, a white bandage was placed across his eyes and foreign sods were placed beneath his feet so that he should not walk on Irish soil. This, the legend tells us, is how Saint Colmcille arrived at the Council of Drumceat.

A vast crowd was gathered for the Council. Kings and chieftains in their coloured robes, priests and monks, learned men and fili ; from every part of Ireland they came.

It was the Hight King's wish that the fili be banished from the country, but Colmcille spoke long and ably in their favour. He loved the ancient Gaelic language and its poetry. The fili kept these alive, he siad, and had done great good for the people of Ireland.

His arguments were carefully listened to by everyone there, and finally it was agreed that he had spoken wisely. The fili would be allowed to stay in the country, they decided, but their power and numbers would be much reduced.

Thanks to Saint Colmcille, the Irish file were saved from exile. But for his efforts at the Council of Drunceat we would have lost forever the beautiful poetry which they later composed.