Coire Bhreacain (Corrievreckan, between
Jura and Scarba) on another (?) occasion, by reciting a hymn to Brigit
(LL, 1706).

_The Visit of Colum Cille to Clonmacnois._--This took place during the
rule of Ailithir, the fourth abbot of Clonmacnois (A.D. 589-595). It
is described in Adamnan's _Vita Columbae_, where we read of the honour
paid to the distinguished visitor, and how he was greeted with hymns
and praises, while a canopy was borne over him on his way to the
church, to protect him from inconvenient crowding. A humble boy, a
useless servitor in the monastery, came behind Columba to touch the
hem of his garment: the saint, miraculously apprised of this, caught
him by the neck and held him, despite the protests of the brethren
that he should dismiss this "wretched and noxious boy." Then he bade
the boy stretch forth his tongue, and blessed it, prophesying his
future increase in wisdom and knowledge, and his eminence as a
preacher. The boy was Ernin or Ernoc, the patron saint of Kilmarnock;
and Adamnan had the tale from Failbe, who was standing by as Ernin
himself related the incident to Abbot Segine of I. Colum Cille also
prophesied the Easter controversy, and told of angelic visitations
that he had had within the precincts of Clonmacnois: but Adamnan says
nothing about the hymn to Ciaran, or the wonder-working clay from his
tomb, although elsewhere in his book the terrors of Corrievreckan
are alluded to. According to a prophecy of Colum Cille narrated in
O'Donnell's Life of that saint, Patrick is to judge the men of Ireland
on the Last Day at Clonmacnois.

_The Hymn of Colum Cille._--This composition has not been preserved
in its entirety. Fragments of it are introduced into the Homiletic
Introduction of VG, which are enough to identify it with a short hymn
to be found in the Irish _Liber Hymnorum_, and published by Bernard
and Atkinson in their edition of that compilation.[29] It is as
follows--

Alto et ineffabile apostolorum coeti
celestis Hierosolimae sublimioris speculi
sedente tribunalibus solis modo micantibus
Quiaranus sanctus sacerdos insignis nuntius

inaltatus est manibus angelorum celestibus
consummatis felicibus sanctitatum generibus
quem tu Christe apostolum mundo misisti hominem
gloriosum in omnibus nouissimis temporibus

rogamus Deum altissimum per sanctorum memoriam
sancti Patri