St. Columba or 'Colum-Cille' - the "dove of the church" in Irish - was born the son of Ulster Chieftain of the O'Donnel Clan in Gertan,County Donegal on December the 7th, 521 A.D. Vivacious,determined and extremely hard     working, St. Columba was educated at Moville, and ordained a monk around 546 A.D.    In 563 A.D. he arrived on the Isle of Iona where he founded a monastery  which was to be the headquarters of missionary work in Scotland, and the ruling house of all monasteries founded by him in the western isles.    It was in Iona that this pioneer of Christianity died on the 9th of June 597 A.D.