Lawloe — The Cathach of St. Cohimha. 305 



him to attempt the conversion of the Piets, he must liave felt that if he 

 succeeded in winning a pagan people to the religion of Christ, he would at the 

 same time rescue the Irish colony of Dalriada from a great danger, and render 

 them an important service, by establishing peaceable relations between them 

 and their greatly more numerous and powerful neighbours, and replacing 

 them in the more secure possession of the western districts they had 

 colonized."' This is a very attractive theory. If Columba's missionary zeal 

 was due solely to the love of Christ, it is hard to understand why he deferred 

 his evangelistic enterprise till he was forty-two years of age, or why he 

 selected Scotland as the sphere of his work. Dr. Skene's theory helps us to 

 explain these things. But it has no express support from Adamnan. He 

 had— or rather gave expression to — no idea that Columba was inspired by any 

 other motive than " a desire to carry the Gospel to a pagan nation." If that 

 is a good argument against O'Donnell's story, it is a still better argument 

 against Skene's theory, for O'Donnell had on his side an early and widespread 

 tradition to which Skene could not appeal. 



If we admit a second motive, I cannot see why we should not admit a 

 third. It must be remembered that Columba had for nearly twenty years 

 been doing notable work " for Christ." He had founded at least two great 

 ecclesiastical establishments, one at Durrow and the other at Derry. It might 

 have seemed that tliere was no reason why he should not continue to labour 

 in Ireland to the end, as his master, Finnian of Clonard, had done. In Ireland 

 there was still much to be accomplished. 1 1 was not only that the Church 

 was in need of fuller organization. There were nominal Christians who were 

 pagans at heart ; and we need not doubt that there were still avowed pagans 

 to be converted to the Faith. What induced Columba to abandon this work, 

 so full of promise, in the prime of life ? For it was in a real sense abandoned 

 when he departed from Ireland. For the future he could supervise and control 

 it. But he could have little share in it ; he could not extend it. When he 

 was gone, it must to some extent languish. O'Donnell's narrative enables us 

 to supply an answer to our question more satisfying than Skene's, and not 

 inconsistent with it. If it had become apparent to Columba that, in con- 

 sequence of the battle of Cul Dremhne, his relations with the native 

 ecclesiastical leaders would be less harmonious than they had been in the 

 past, and his work less effective, a fresh reason would suggest itself for with- 

 drawing from Ireland, and of his own will embracing the opportunity of 

 service which presented itself in Scotland. 



' Ihid., p. 84. Professor G. T. Stoke.s agrees (" Ireland and the Celtic Church," 1907, 

 p. 112 ff.), as does also Bishop Dowden (" Celtic Church in Scotland," p. 92). 



B.I. A. PBGC, VOL. XXXIII, SECT. C. [44] 



