"I stood at a grave by the outer wall Of the Strangers' Church in Down, All lorn and lost in neglect, and crossed By the Church of the Strangers' frown. All lorn and waste, and with footsteps crossed The grave of our Patrons Three, Not a leaf to wave o'er that lonely grave That seemed not a grave to me! But a trench where some traitor was flung of yore-- 'Twas "a sight for a foeman's eye"! Where Patrick still and Saint Columbkille And the Dove[37] of the Oak Tree lie. * * * * * Those men who spoke bravely of rending chains (And never a fetter broke!) Those men who adored the flashing sword (When never a tocsin spoke!) Those little men, who are very great In marble and bronze, are still The city's pride, whilst that trench holds Bride And Patrick and Columbkille!" [1] Also often called St. Columba, to be strictly distinguished from Columbanus, who laboured on the Continent. The name is written sometimes Colomb Cille and Colum Kille or Columkille. It is pronounced in Irish Cullum-killă, and means literally the "Dove of the Church," but in English the name is generally pronounced Columkill. [2] As calculated by Dr. Reeves, who coincides with the "Four Masters" and Dr. Lanigan. The other Annals waver between 518 and 523. [3] See the lines in O'Donnell's life of the saint, ascribed to St. Mura: "Rugadh i nGartan da dheóin / S do h-oileadh i gCill mhic Neóin 'S do baisteadh mac na maise / A dTulaigh De Dubhghlaise." [4] He is called "Germán the Master" in the Book of Lismore life. In the life of Finnian of Clonard he is called _Carminator nomine gemanus_, who brings to St. Finnian "quoddam carmen magnificum." [5] A similar story of Cummain the Tall, of Guaire the Connacht king who still gives his name to the town of Gort, which is Gort Inse-Guaire, and of Cáimine of Inisceltra, is told in the Leabhar na h-Uidhre, and printed by Whitley Stokes in a note at p. 304 of his "Lives from the Book of Lismore." Each of the three got as he had desired, for, says the chronicler, "all their musings were made true. The earth was given to Guaire. Wisdom was given to Cummain. Diseases and sicknesses were inflicted on Cáimine, so that no bone of him joined together in the earth, but melted and decayed with the anguish of every disease and of every tribulation, so that they all went to heaven according to their musings." (See for the same story the Yellow Book of Lecan, p. 132, of facsimile.)