Mackynegan' against the O'Brynnes, and had his horse slain on the same occasion or in the defence of Carrickmain. According to Mason, he was probably appointed dean of St.Patrick's between 20 Aug. and 25 Oct. 1374; and he is certainly styled both dean of St. Patrick's and treasurer of Ireland in a document dated 25 Oct. of this year (Rot. Hib. p. 87). On 6 Sept. he appears as dean of St. Patrick's only (ib. p. 896). Mason says that he was made chancellor in 1379; he certainly held this office in December 1380 (ib. p. 106), and according to the same authority (Ann. of St. Pat. p. 127, &c.) till 26 Nov. 1381. On the death of Edmund, earl of March (26 Dec. 1381), whom he was attending in his progress through Munster, he summoned the English barons to meet at St. Peter's, Cork, for the purpose of appointing a justiciar in the place of the deceased nobleman. Both Ormonde and Desmond refused the office, which was finally conferred upon Colton on or before 20 Jan. (Mason; Rot. Hib. p. 111 a, b). Mason considers that he occupied this office for only a very short time; and he is probably correct in this supposition, as Colton seems to have gone to England about 6 March, and is simply styled ' lately dean of Dublin ' in a document dated 1 April 1382 (ib. pp. 115, 118 b). He had resigned the chancellorship on 19 Feb. (Mason). On the death of Milo Sweetman, archbishop of Armagh (11 Aug. 1380), he seems to have been appointed guardian of the temporalities of that see, and was made archbishop in 1381. He died on 27 April 1404, having shortly before resigned his see, and was buried in the church of St. Peter at Drogheda (Reeves). Two of his provincial constitutions are still extant, and Tanner, quoting from Bale, makes mention of two treatises written by him against the papal schism, viz. 'De Causis Schismatis' and 'De Remediis ejusdem.' Dr. Reeves has edited his visitation of the diocese of Derry (1397) for the Irish Archaeological Association (Dublin, 1850).
[Mason's History and Annals of St. Patrick's Church, Dublin; Rotuli Patentes et Clausi Cancellariæ Hiberniæ, vol. i. pt. i.; Reeves' s Colton's Visitation, pref.; Tanner's Bibliotheca, 192. The dates given by Mason do not agree in all ases with those of the Irish Rolls.]
COLUMBA, Saint (521–597), is known in Ireland and the western isles as Columcille. Columbanus (Bædæ; Historia Ecclesiastica, bk. iii. c. 4, p. 94, ed. Cologne, 1601) is another form of the name. He was born on the day on which St. Buite [q. v.] of Monasterboice died, 7 Dec. 521. Feidilmid, his father, was chief of a mountainous district in the north-west of Ireland, well described in an old verse ' cuigeadh Ulaidh seo sios as mile cnuic in a lar,' the province of Ulster down here and a thousand hills in its midst. Feidilmid is a name still in use in that region, where the warlike deeds of Feidilmid Ruadh are often related by the fire, while till a few years ago the music of Feidilmid Coll was a frequent delight to the country-side. Columba's father was grandson of Conall Gulban, from whom the north-west of Ulster takes its name of Tirconaill, and great-grandson of Niall Naighiallach, king of Ireland from 379 to 405. Feidilmid's wife, Ethne, was eleventh in descent from Cathair Mor, king of Leinster. Thus, through both father and mother, the saint was kin to many powerful families. His birthplace was at Gartan in Donegal, on the side of a small hill at the foot of which are three lakes, overshadowed by dark mountains, haunted in the sixth century by numbers of wolves (O'Donnell, Life), whose last descendants were killed by the grandfathers of the old men of a few years ago (local tradition). A large flag-stone in the townland of Lacknacor is visited S pilgrims as the actual couch on which Columba was born. The intending emigrant believes that to lie upon it will save him from home sickness, and there is a strong local belief in its merit as causing easy parturition. The saint was baptised Colum by Cruithnechan mac Ceallachain, a priest, at Dooglas, and to his baptismal name the addition of cille (of the church) was added, probably during his life. The child of an Irish king was always put out to fosterage, and Columba's foster parents were the O'Firghils, who lived but a few miles from his birthplace. His childhood was spent with them at Doire Eithne, a place so wild to this day that the eagle, the raven, the badger, and the pine marten have their homes in it. Some of the tribe that fostered him still live at Kilmacrenan, as their ancient home is now called. After the formal termination of his fosterage the saint became a Eupil of St. Finnian, on the shore of Strangford Lough, and by him was ordained deacon. He next studied under Gemman, one of the Oes dana of Leinster, and here became confirmed in the love for the old poetic tales of Ireland which he had doubtless acquired under the shadow of Lochasalt, and which, as Irish tradition asserts, he retained throughout life. He and his teacher vainly endeavoured to prevent the lawless murder of a girl, and the sudden death of the murderer after Columba's vehement expression of indignation was counted as one of the first evidences of his power as a saint. He next went to Clonard, and, with other afterwards
