In Search of Colmcille

St Columba is the best known of the early Christian saints who journeyed from Ireland to Scotland in and around the 6th century AD in search of personal fulfilment or to evangelise. He is believed to have been born at Gartan, Donegal, leaving Ireland in 563 to found a monastery on Iona, where he died in 597. Many legends surround his activities, particularly in Ulster, Iona, and the Hebrides. Indeed, a whole mythology has been developed over the centuries. Columbas religious and cultural legacy is of great importance, and includes many churches dedicated to his name in both Ireland and Scotland.This volume contains chapters - in English, Scots Gaelic and Irish Gaeilge - from two memorable conferences organised by the Islands Book Trust in Lewis and Donegal on the theme of Columba - his life and legacy.