Columba of Terryglass (Colum) (died 13 December 552) was the son of Ninnidh, a descendant of Crinthainn, King of Leinster. Columba was a disciple of St. Finnian of Clonard.Edmonds, Columba. "St. Columba of Terryglass." The Catholic Encyclopedia. Vol. 4. New York: Robert Appleton Company, 1908. 24 Jul. 2013
/ref> He was one of the

Twelve Apostles of Ireland The Twelve Apostles of Ireland (also known as Twelve Apostles of Erin, ir, Dhá Aspal Déag na hÉireann) were twelve early Irish monastic saints of the sixth century who studied under St Finnian (d. 549) at his famous monastic school Clona ...

.Grattan-Flood, William. "The Twelve Apostles of Erin." The Catholic Encyclopedia. Vol. 1. New York: Robert Appleton Company, 1907. 24 Jul. 2013
/ref>

Life

In his youth he learned his psalms and hymns from an old holy man named Colman Cule, who lived near Clonenagh, and founded the church of Cluain Cain. Afterwards he studied with Finnian of Clonard.Healy, John. ''Insula Sanctorum Et Doctorum'', Sealy, Bryers & Walker, 1890
/ref> Columba resolved to go to Rome and bring back some relics of Sts Peter and Paul. On his return he visited Tours and brought from there the staff of St. Martin of Tours. He also visited England and preached with some success to the Anglo-Saxons. Returning home, he remained a year at Clonenagh before crossing Slieve Bloom and founding a church near Lough Derg. John Healy reports that around 520 Columba was prompted by an angel to relocate to

Inis Cealtra Inis Cealtra, also known in English as Inishcaltra or Holy Island, is an island off the western shore of Lough Derg in Ireland. Now uninhabited, it was once a monastic settlement. It has an Irish round tower, and the ruins of several small chur ...

, where he remained a long time. According to one story, when one of his monks died suddenly on the shore opposite the northern part of the island, Columba ordered the monks to go and say to the dead man, "Columba bids thee arise." The man then arose and returned with them to the island. Columba founded the celebrated monastery of Tirdaglas (Tir-da-glasí), or

Terryglass Terryglass () is a village in County Tipperary, Ireland. The small town is located on the R493 regional road on the north-eastern shore of Lough Derg near where the River Shannon enters the Lough. It is a civil parish in the historical barony o ...

in 548.Butler, Alban. “Saint Columba, Abbot in Ireland”. Lives of the Fathers, Martyrs, and Principal Saints, 1866. CatholicSaints.Info. 3 December 2013
/ref>

Fintan of Clonenagh Saint Fintan of Clonenagh (c. 526 – 603) was an Irish hermit and monk. He was an Abbot and disciple of Columba of Terryglass. Life Fintan was born in about 526, the son of Christians Gabhren and Findlath. The monastery at Clonenagh was fou ...

received his religious formation at Terryglass and was deeply influenced by the penitential practices and the severity of the Rule. When Saint Finnian was in extremis, suffering from the plague, he sent for Columba to administer Holy

Viaticum Viaticum is a term used – especially in the Catholic Church – for the Eucharist (also called Holy Communion), administered, with or without Anointing of the Sick (also called Extreme Unction), to a person who is dying; viaticum is thus a part ...

. Columba himself died of the plague on 13 December 552, and was buried within the precincts of his own monastery at Terryglass. Some fifteen other saints of Ireland, bearing the name Columba, are mentioned in the Martyrology of Gorman.

References

Bibliography

{{DEFAULTSORT:Columba Of Terryglass 552 deaths 6th-century Christian saints Medieval Irish saints 6th-century Irish abbots Infectious disease deaths in Ireland Year of birth unknown 6th-century deaths from plague (disease)