Lady Gregory

“ Even Nera from the Sidhe could not do it; he is not made much of now; our learned one is not the light of our life now he is hidden away from us.
"He that used to keep us living is dead; he that was our rightful head has died from us; he has died from us, that was God's messenger.
"The knowledgeable man that used to put fear from us is not here; the teller of words does not return to us; the teacher is gone from us that taught silence to the people. ”

“ I myself sent eastward to Hii, and the sea between it and Aran.
"A farewell from me to Aran; it is it that vexes my heart; I not to be westward on her waves among troops of the saints of heaven. "A farewell from me to Aran; my faithful heart is vexed; it is a lasting leave taking; Och! this parting is not of my will.
"A farewell from me to Aran; it is that is the sorrowful parting; she to be full of white angels and I without a lad in my currach. "Och it is far, Ochone it is far I am put away from Aran in the west; sent out towards the hosts of Mona to visit the men of Scotland in the east. ”

“ Whatever God has settled for any person, he will not leave the world until he meets it; although a high head goes looking for more, he will not get the size of a grain of it.
"A man may bring a guard with him on his road; but what guard has ever kept a man from his death?
"An herb is cut for the cattle, and they after coming from the mountain. ”

“ And what is it you are giving me?" he said to the cook. "You know well yourself" said the cook "that if 'it does not come through the iron of the pot or through the stick the broth is mixed with, I know of no other thing in it but only nettles." "That there may be good luck and a good appearance to those that come after you for ever" said Columcille. And it is likely he took but nettles only after that, for he lost flesh till the track of his ribs used to be seen on the strand when he used to lie out there through the night time. ”

“ And by order of God a clerk came to them out of the island to relieve them, for they were in a bad way for the want of food; and he gave them fish and wine and wheat. Then they went on till they came to a country where there were men having heads of pigs; and there were a great many reapers reaping the corn in the middle of the summer. And from that they went on in their boat, and sang their psalms and prayed to God, till they came to a country where there were people of the Gael; and the women of that island sang a strain to the clerks and it is sweet they thought it. ”

“ Columcille's Burying Place It is an old saying in Ireland that if Columcille died in Hii, his soul I is in Doire and his body under a flagstone in Ardmacha beside Brigit and Patrick. But one time when some person that was looking at the church in Hii told that saying, the people of the island were very angry, and said the Irish were impudent liars to say such a thing, and that Saint Columcille had been buried in their island, and none had ever come to bring him away, and if they had they would not have got him. ”

“ A Praise he made of Doire and he going over the Sea "It is delightful to be on Beinn Edair before going over the white sea; the beating of the waves against its wall; the bareness of its border and its strand.
"It is great is the swiftness of my currach and its back turned to Doire; it is a fret to me my journey over the high sea, travelling to Scotland of the ravens.
"My foot in my sweet-sounding currach; my sorrowful heart pleading. It is a weak man that is not a leaderrall that are without knowledge are blind together.
"There is a grey eye that is looking back upon Ireland ”

“ If I had three score hundreds of armies that would defend the body, when the day of my death comes there is no strong place wilt hold out against it.
"He that is spent may get his death in a church or in the island in the middle of the lake; he that has luck with him, his life will be safe in the front of a battle. ”

“ Doire the Plain of the Oakwood Aedh King of Ireland gave up the dun he had in Doire to Columcille and he made his dwelling there. And he had so great a love for Doire, and the cutting of the oak trees went so greatly against him, that he could not find a place for his church the time he was building it that would let the front of it be to the east, and it is its side was turned to the east. ”

“ I stretch my sight over the salt waters from the strong oaken planks; there is a big tear in my eye when I look back on Ireland; my mind is set upon Ireland, on Loch Lene of Magh Line; on the country of the men of Ulster; on smooth Munster and on Meath.
"It is plentiful in the east are tall fighting men; plentiful the troubles and the sicknesses; plentiful the men with scanty clothes; plentiful the hard jealous hearts.
"Plentiful in the west are the apples; plentiful the kings & the makings of kings; plentiful the wholesome sloes; plentiful the oaks with acorns.
"Sweet voiced her clerks ”

“ There will be nothing wanting to it; there will be nothing added to it.
"He that is in health falls into sickness; he that is out of his health grows sound again; he that is in misery gets right again; he that is in good order falls into misery. ”

“ Some of the old men in the gathering took Brenden on one side then and they were faulting him and saying "Why did you rise up before a man that has been put out of the brotherhood and why did you kiss him?" ”

“ Then he went back to where the men of Leinster were drinking yet. "Have you a token with you?" said Murchad. "I have" said he "the head of Donnbo." "Set it up on that post" said Murchad. Then they all knew it to be the head of Dunnbo, and it is what they all said: "It is a pity for you Donnbo, it 'is comely your face was! And make amusement for us to-night," they said "the same as you did yesterday for your lord." ”

“ Though I do not know father or mother I speak with the living and the dead." Then Columcille said to him. "What is there beneath those islands to the west of us?" And it is what the young man said: "There are underneath them tuneful long-haired men; there are well-shaped people both men and women; there are cattle, white, red-eared, their lowJ.flg is sweet; there are herds of deer, there are good horses; there are the two-headed, there are the three-headed, in Europe, in Asia, in an unknown green country from its border to its river mouth." "That is enough so far" said Columcille. ”

“ When Columcille heard that, he made his mind up he would use no other thing than brdfh of nettles so long as his life would last. "For if it is waiting for the one cow this woman is, in this great hunger" he said "it would be more fitting for us to be in hunger; for it is a better thing we ourselves are waiting for, the everlasting kingdom." And he said to his cook "Bring me broth of nettles every night and bring no milk with it." ”

“ His Strange Visitor One time Columcille was at Cam Eolairg on Loch Febhail and there came a beautiful young man to him having a golden shoe upon his foot, and whatever foot he would put down it is on it the shoe used to be. "Where do you come from young man?" ”