19 March 2025

Although it is unlikely that we will ever unravel the mystery surrounding Columba’s decision ‘to make a pilgrimage for Christ from Ireland to Britain’, we thank God that he did. For there are things which we can celebrate without hesitation like his monastic life.

Bede states that the Columban monastery at Durrow was founded before Columba left Ireland. Adomnan disagrees. Macquarrie argues that ‘since Iona held the pre-eminence over all other Columban foundations, it seems likely that Iona was in fact the earliest of Columba’s houses’.

One thing is clear, Columba was the founder not only of the monastery on Iona but of many others both in Scots Dal Riata and in Ireland. Ian Bradley observes that ‘they formed a family which came to have their own common rule at least in the century following Columba’s death if not during his lifetime’.

Reading Adomnan’s life, we discover that the monastic offices were sung throughout the day. The Sacrament of Holy Communion was usually celebrated at dawn on Sundays and Holy Days. Wednesday was a fast day. Psalms and  hymns  were sung.

St. Columba’s time was taken up with the monks in the monastery and the many visitors to the island. ’These visitors included kings and their messengers, ecclesiastical pilgrims, penitents and sick persons seeking medicine and spiritual cures …’ writes Macquarrie.

The archaeological evidence reveals that Columba’s diet included cattle, deer, sheep, pigs, horses, otters, seals and whales. In addition, there is evidence to support the view that this self-sufficient well-organised farming community had workshops for carpentry, leatherwork and pottery.