INTRODUCTION.

...always held in great esteem, on the praises of St. Columba, and entitled Amra Choluim Chille,10 that is, “The Praises of Columba of the Churches.” The occasion of the composition of this little work is recorded to be as follows: After St. Columba had come from Britain to Ireland to settle certain disputes which had arisen between the monarch of Ireland, Aed (his relative), and the chiefs of Dal Riata A Gaelic kingdom encompassing parts of northeastern Ireland and western Scotland. and Leinster, and other subjects; and after he had attended before the same king and the nobles of the kingdom in a certain synod of Druimm Ceta A famous assembly held around 575 AD., assembled for this purpose in the region of Cianachta,11 while the assembly was being broken up, and all things were succeeding according to the wishes of St. Columba, with the hope of general peace and concord, St. Dallan comes to St. Columba and offers him a certain poem which he had composed in his praise.

But while that poem was being partly read, and the holy man was strongly feeling certain sudden emotions of vain complacency original: "vain complacency" (pride or self-satisfaction)., he was admonished by St. Baithene, his disciple, then standing near, that a great troop of evil demons appeared scoffing above his head. When the holy man with astonishment saw the troop, he was struck with compunction of heart, and immediately he forbids the praises written by St. Dallan to be further produced or published. He added that no one [should be praised] during their life, which they might yet end badly; and that he alone who had run well in the stadium A metaphor for the race of life or spiritual struggle., and had ended his race successfully, should be praised after his death. And when Dallan could by no...

10 Amra Choluim Chille, that is, the Praises of Columba of the Churches. I have in my possession one copy of this work, beautifully written, but, putting aside a few scattered commentaries which it contains, it is understandable to only a few today, and these the most learned. [I shall try to make the present translation rank me as one of the successors, though at a great distance original: "longo intervallo", of Colgan’s “most skilled” original: "peritissimi" scholars.]—EDITOR.

11 In the region of Cianachta. Druimm Ceta is a place in the Diocese and County of Derry, at the River Roe. Today and always it is venerable, especially on account of the many pilgrimages and the public Procession of the Blessed Sacrament original: "Theophory" (a religious procession carrying sacred items). which is made there annually on the festival of All Saints, with an immense concourse from all the neighboring districts, in memory of the aforementioned synod celebrated there.