The Battle of Cul Dreimhne/ The Battle of the Books
1. The Copy
One of the Twelve Apostles of Ireland, St. Columba (also known as Columbkill, Columcille, Calum Cille) was an Irish missionary. The twelve apostles were saints who studied at Clonary Abbey under St. Finian.
Columcille had a reputation for studying and praying incessantly. He wrote 300 books by hand, and he is reported to have continued to transcribe until the night before his death.
After visiting Rome in 540, Finnian, Columcilles’ mentor, brought back a copy of Saint Jerome’s Vulgate, the first Latin translation of the Bible to arrive in Ireland. Finnian had intended to translate the Latin into Gaeilge. However, Colmcille had the same notion. Through some means, he obtained the book without Finnian’s knowledge and covertly created a duplicate with the goal of keeping it for himself. However, Finian discovered this and argued that this was theft—illegal copying! He insisted on receiving the copy that Columcille had created, to which Columcille refused.
Battle of the books written by Ealíann Kerrigan Student of Religious Education and History DCU