Lawlor — The Cathach of St. Columba. 313 



Maghbile was the founder of Dromini ; but he gives no reason, and I suspect 

 he based his opinion on a mistranslation of Colgan in the passage before us.^ 

 Nevertheless, the identification seems correct. Two Finnians are represented 

 as teachers of St. Columba in the old Irish Life,' the one of Maghbile and 

 the other of Clonard. It is natural to suppose that one of them is intended 

 here, and the latter died many years before the battle of Cul Dremhne. 

 Moreover, the tract " De Causa Peregrinationis " '' brings a certain " Saint 

 Fiunian the bishop " into the story, indicating undoubtedly Finnian of 

 Maghbile. It is true that he is assigned the place which O'Donnell gives to 

 Molaise ; but he could scarcely have appeared in any capacity if there had 

 not been a current tradition that he was in some way connected with this 

 crisis in Columba's life. In the sequel I shall therefore assume, as I have 

 assumed already, that Finnian of Dromin is no other than Finnian of Maghbile- 

 The next two paragraphs will tend to make that conclusion more secure. 

 Meanwhile, let us note that the bare fact that he is described as " of Dromin " 

 is evidence that O'Donnell has faithfully preserved a trustworthy tradition. 



Another mark of truth in the story is the want of generosity displayed by 

 Finnian as to the use of his books by others. A similar characteristic comes 

 out in the Life of Finnian of Dun Bleisc* It is there told how St. Finnian 

 of Maghbile refused to lend a Gospel {xoolumen euangelicum, eimngeliuiii), to 

 his namesake, who wished to read it, and how the latter in the end got 

 what he wanted. This coincidence is more than we could expect from a 

 hagiological romancer. The argument of course breaks down if our assumption 

 of the identity of Finnian of Maghbile and Finnian of Dromin should prove 

 false. But the coincidence itself is a witness to its truth. It is worth noting 

 in this connexion that, according to early tradition, it was not considered safe 

 to give St. Columba free access to other people's books. When he visited 

 Longarad of Ossory, that worthy hid his books from him.' 



And, finally, that Columba should have borrowed this book from St. Finnian 

 of Maghbile is in keeping with what we know of his early life. For though 

 O'Donnell does not tell us what the book was, the context suggests that it 

 contained a portion of the Holy Scriptures : Columba in his address to 

 Diarmaid declares that " it is not right to extinguish the divine tilings it 

 contains^ And from Adamnan we learn that it was in the school of Finnian 



' Adamnan, p. 103. 



2 He renders Droma Find in one place (ii. 408) " in ecclesia de Droim-fionn," and in 

 another (i. 644) " habitantem in loco Druim-Pinn appellato." 



3 Stokes, p. 173, 

 ■•§6. 



5 Acta S. Fintani de Duleng, 6 (Cod. Sal., col 227). 

 ^Stokes, " Calendar of Oengiis," p. 199. 



li.I.A. I'EOC, VOL. XXXIII., SECT. C. [45] 



