Iona Abbey and nunnery, established 563 AD on the site of the monastery founded by St. Colmcille, also known as Columba. / ShutterstockCNA Newsroom, Dec 7, 2022 / 11:00 am (CNA).More than 1,500 years have passed since the birth of St. Colmcille, one of the trinity of Ireland s patron saints, along with St. Patrick and St. Brigid. He is a figure of profound religious, cultural, and political significance and is also important to faith groups beyond Catholicism.In 2021 a series of commemorative events marked 1,500 years since his birth, bringing Colmcille, also known as Columba, and his life, legend, and legacy back into focus.St. Columba with cloak and shepherd s crook in a stained-glass window in St. Margaret s Chapel in Edinburgh Castle. ShutterstockNiall Comer, director of the Hyde Foundation and lecturer in Irish at Ulster University, explained Colmcille s enduring significance and appeal: "Colmcille, or the dove of the Church , has a hugely important part to play in both t.