St. Columba and Roe Park

St Columba had a long association with the Roe Valley and should be remembered here for his great works and his key involvement in the conventions of Drumceatt in 675 AD - not to mention founding the first settlement in what was to become the city of Derry.

He was born on 7th December 521 in Gartan (near present day Letterkenny) in Co. Donegal. His father was Fedhlimidh a great grandson of Niall of the Nine Hostages and his mother Eithne was a descendant of the Kings of Leinster.

He was therefore of a noble lineage and so was capable of wielding great influence over his contemporaries. He was christened Columba (Dove) and later also called Columcille (Dove of the church). He began his religious education at Kilmacrennan and was ordained at the age of 25.

Doire Colmcille

In 546 he was offered a site on the banks of the Foyle by his cousin Aedh (later high King of Ireland) where he founded his first monastery known as Doire Colmcille - the word Doire later becoming the root of the English name Derry - or Oak Grove of Colmcille. During the next 20 years he founded more than 60 monasteries and churches stretching from Kells in the South to Tory Island in the North including monastic settlements in Tamlaght, Bovevagh and Screen.

In 563 Columba left Ireland and established a monastery on the Scottish island of Iona. The reasons for his departure are not certain - some historians feel that it was an extension of his pilgrimage drive while others think he was exiled because of his involvement, albeit indirectly, in the defeat of high king Diarmaid at the battle of Culdreimhne near Ben Bulben, Co. Sligo.

He continued his good works in Scotland and established many monasteries and churches along its west coast - converting many of the natives Scots (Picts) to Christianity.

The Convention of Drumceatt

Then in 575 AD (date varies according to some historians) he returned to Ireland mainly at the behest of King Aiden of Scottish Dalriada and the poets and scholars of Ireland to attend the great convention of Drumceatt.

Legend has it that Columba travelled to Drumceatt blind folded with the sods of Alba (Scotland) on his feet as he was supposed to have said at the time of his exile or banishment in 563 that he would never see or set foot on Ireland again.

At Drumceatt, Columba is credited with various acts of healing, prophesy and more than one argument with the occasional high King or prince. Such was his growing reputation that invalids came from far and near to be touched by him or to drink water he had blessed. There are two sources of water locally which bear his name - St Columba's Well in Roe Valley Country Park and Columba's Spring in Coolessan (sadly now filled in for building purposes) which was used from the 1700's - 1900's to supply water to Roe Park House by means of a hydraulic pump.

Columba returned to Iona after the Convention of Drumceatt and continued his good work particularly along the western part of Scotland and the islands. Many ancient churches and monasteries were founded and are still remembered in Scotland 1400 years later. He died on Iona on 9th June 597 aged 75 years.

St Canice - The Patron Saint of Roe Valley

St Canice, known as Cainneach by the Irish and Kenneth in Scotland, is regarded as the patron Saint of the Roe Valley and was a friend and contemporary of Columba.

Canice was one of the twelve apostles of Ireland which included; St Columba of Derry, Ciaran of Saigir, Ciaran of Clonmacnoise, Brendan of Confert (the navigator), Brendan of Birr, Colman of Terrglass, Molaisse of Devenish, Ruadhan of Lothra, Mobhi of Glasnevin, Senell of Cluain Inis and Nannidh of Inis Maighe Samh, and so was one of the major figures of the early Celtic church both in Ireland and Scotland.

He was born in AD 516 in the townland of Drumramer (about 4 miles east of Limavady). His father Lughadh Leithdhearg was a distinguished poet from Waterford and his mother was called Maul. Legend has it that Canice was christened by St Laurach of Maghera (a relative of his mother) in a well in the neighbouring townland of Ballycrum. (The memoirs of 1835 mention this holy well to which local people made pilgrimages for cure of illnesses).

In his early years he with his friend Teal Bretach, son of a local chieftain, spent most of their time tending to the flocks of the chieftain on the slopes of Ballycrum.

Eventually in AD 543 he entered the monastic school of St Finian at Clonard where a fellow pupil was Columba of Derry and later Iona. From there he went with Columba and others to Glasnevin to study under St Mobhi. A plague of the yellow fever in AD 545 led to the death of St Mobhi and closure of Glasnevin so Canice went to study under St Cadoc at the monastery of Llancarvan in Wales.

He was ordained in Wales and after a visit to Rome, returned to the Roe Valley in AD550 and founded his first monastery at Drumachose. As this would have been constructed of wood and straw it no longer survives but it is believed that the 12^th Century Church of Drumachose (AD1135) is built on the same site - the remnants of this second church still exist.

He spent the next 15 years with his fellow Monks converting the inhabitants of the Roe Valley and founded churches at Faughanvale and Enagh.

In about AD 565 he left for Scotland to join Columba on Iona founding monasteries and churches on the islands of Coll, Tiree, Mull, South Vist and Kintyre as well as on the Scottish mainland.

He may or may not have come back to Ireland to attend convention of Drumceatt (historians differ on this point) but he did return to Ireland permanently shortly thereafter and founded a monastery in Aghanloo not very far from his first settlement at Drumachose. He then moved south and founded the Great Abbey of Aghaboe (in County Leix) in about AD 577. Tradition has it that he also founded a monastery in Kilkenny and the St Canice's Cathedral in Kilkenny city is reputed to have been built there in 13^th century on the site of this monastery.