3^o HORSE-SHOES AND HORSE-SHOEING. 



In Ireland, so long the stronghold of everything Celtic, 

 the monks appear to have been clever workmen, and to 

 have excelled in smithery. In Andamannus ' Life of St 

 Columba, a holy man who lived in the 6th century, there 

 is mention made of one Columbus, a nottdfaber ferrarius, 

 who dwelt in the centre of Ireland {inediterranea scotice). 

 The notice of him is contained in a chapter ' Concerning 

 an Apparition of Angels which a man of God had seen 

 bearing to Heaven a certain soul, by name Columbus, a 

 " fabri ferrarii," who was known by the cognomen of 

 Coilriginus.' St Columba, who had fixed his abode in 

 the island of lona, hearing of the death of his colleague, 

 gathered his priests around him and said : ' Columbus 

 Coilriginus the smith {faber ferrarius) hath not laboured 

 in vain, for he hath reached eternal happiness and life by 

 the work of his hands {propria manum laboralione), and 

 now his soul is being borne by angels to the celestial 

 country. For whatever he acquired by the practice of his 

 trade he spent in works of charity.' ' From the mention 

 of this monk's occupation and the immortality he derived 

 from it, we may suppose him to be the Colum Zoba (Colum 

 the Smith) commemorated in the calendars on June 7th. 

 We also find that St Patrick (4th century) had three 

 smiths, who duly appear in the same Irish calendar. ^ St 

 Dega, Bishop of Iniscaindega (now Iniskeen, Monaghan), 

 derived his name of Dayg [hoc enim, nomen Scotica lingua 

 magnam Jiammam sonat) from his employment in making 

 ' plurima de ferro et asre de auro at que argento utensilia 



' Vita Sancti Columbse. Auctore Andamnano. Lib. iii. cap. 9. 

 Dublin, 1857. 



* O' Donovan. Annals of the Four Masters. 



