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94 Stephen Dunford: The Journey of The IrIsh
It is also told that Colmán erected a monastery at a place called Magh-eó or Mageo-‘the Plain of the Yews’ in which he settled a number of English monks whom he had brought over with him. For many ages afterwards this monastery was constantly resorted to by monks from Britain, and because of this it is generally called in the annals-Magheo-na- Saxan-‘Mayo of the Saxons.’ The ruins of the old abbey still remain at the village of Mayoabbey, and from this place the county of mayo derives its name.
The missionary genius of the Irish found even greater scope for its activities on the European continent, than it had done in the British Isles. The extension of Irish mission- ary activity to Europe was begun in earnest by the most famous of all Irish missionaries, St Columbán, or more commonly, Columbanus-the name translates as ‘The White Dove’.
Born of noble birth in 540, at Nobber, in present day county Meath, although some sources claim Wexford, and educated at Bangor, Columbanus left Ireland with twelve com- panions in the year 580 and made his way first to Carnac, in Brittany, modern France-the landing site is today marked by a shrine dedicated to Columbanus. He taught in Swit- zerland, Italy and France and founded many monasteries in these lands, including about 585, the celebrated monastery of Luxeuil in Burgundy, which it is said, was ‘established and dedicated to St. Peter under the intellectual and spiritual stimulation of the Irishman Columbanus.’
Twenty years later, Columbanus and his followers were expelled by the then king of Burgundy, King Theodric, but mainly through the influence of the dowager Queen Brun- hildis. He was expelled with the order “Return to your own country whence you came.” But instead of returning to Ireland, however, Columbanus and his fellow-monks sailed up the Rhine to Switzerland, where they laboured successfully for thirteen years, after which Columbanus, who was by then an elderly man, crossed the Alps into Northern Italy. Once there, he converted to Christianity the fierce Lombard ruler, the pagan King Agiluph and his Queen Theodelinda. The king in turn then gave the land on which the monastery and school of Bobbio were established. Bobbio, which is situated between Milan and Genoa afterwards grew to become one of the most revered and celebrated of all the monasteries founded by Irish missionaries and remained in existence until the end of the eighteenth century.
Columbanus died at Bobbio in 615 and his Feast Day is celebrated on 24 November.
St Gall, who was a disciple of St. Columbanus remained in Switzerland, where he founded
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