I hope Mael Coluim would appreciate this one

[macwilkin]

Mael Coluim,

Could you tell us a bit more about the flag? Being an vexillogist, I love flags and the history behind them.

Regards,

Todd

[Mael Coluim]

Good question, Todd. It’s unique isn’t it? I had asked Robin about it. He told me their group uses the symbol of curragh as their logo for the Causeway Coast Maritime Heritage Group. Just outside Bantry, County Cork there is Celtic pillar stone near Kilnaruane where a monastic group resided.

Some believe it’s the remaining shaft is the remains of a Celtic Cross. There are several Christian carvings on the shaft. One is a curragh carved horizontality on the shaft. There is one steersman and you can see 4 oarsmen. There would be 4 more oarsmen on the other side for a total of nine monks. Columba went to Scotland with 12 other monks. Robin’s group expanded the number of oarsmen to fit the Columba tradition. I am copying a photo of the Kilnaruane pillar stone. If you look closely you can see the curragh (The Bantry boat). Some say the steersman represents Christ or St. Brendan.

I’m showing below the CCMHG symbol, “Columba” and the Bantry boat plaque representation on the cross. I have one of these at home.

The green of the flag represents green martyrdom of the Celtic monks. Green martyrs lived as hermits on mountaintops or lonely islands leaving the comforts and pleasures of their homes and families.

Kilnaruane pillar stone


CCNHG Columba Curragh


Bantry Boat

[Mael Coluim]

The Chief of the Malcolm MacCallum Clan resides near Crinan in Poltalloch. He was expecting us a few days later than we arrived and planned to have us visit him at his castle Duntrune for lunch. But in arriving early he was engaged in prior commitments. I was so disappointed.

We had a day for an excursion. We explored Lochgilphead and Kilmartin {home of our own Redshanks}.

Lochgilphead

Kilmartin Museum




Donald at beehive hut. This is a replica of a Celtic monk's cell or home. Later we would see some real ones in ruins on Scarba Island.



Kilmartin church



These grave slabs are on display in the Kilmartin Church graveyard. The tombstones were carved for the Malcolms of Poltalloch probably in the 14th century. Needless to say I was surrounded by my kinsmen, but they had little to say.








Rock cairn

[Mael Coluim]

One of my kinsmen in the Clan MacCallum Malcolm Society dropped in on this thread. He has given me permission to share his private email to me with you. Awesome history and photos, Bob.

“My mother was a McCallum. She descended from a branch that were the early settlers of Nova Scotia, Canada. I have just recently learned of their earlier possible location in Scotland and am just beginning to pursue that.

I have discovered that St. Columba has a connection to my Meehan/Mehihan/O’Meighan family. St. Molaise of Devenish is a Meehan and the patron saint of the Meehans. It was he who banished St. Columba from Ireland to Iona to Scotland as the result of the famous “copyright” case. On a trip to Ireland last summer I visited the well of St. Molaise, located in Ballaghmeehan, just north of Manorhamilton in County Leitrim. In the National Museum of Ireland in Dublin I viewed the cumdach, or gospel-book cover, of St. Molaise which was guarded by Meehans as coarbs of St. Molaise down through the centuries until they presented it to the National Museum in the late 1800’s.
It is so amazing to me how the Meehans and the McCallums have been reunited after all these centuries.”

All the best

Bob Meehan
Dunwoody (Atlanta) Georgia USA

[Mael Coluim]

Donald had scheduled a service with several churches which was a few days away from our early arrival. So, we had some time to see some of the local sites.

One of the advantages of having your own boat is to get to places when the normal tourist would have a hard time to get to. We went to Ellen Mhor to visit the Celtic sites of St. Cormac.












[The below history is from the web site, Am Baile Highland History and Culture, photos are from our trip]

Near the south eastern end of Eilean Mòr, the largest of a group of islands in the Sound of Jura, is a cave known as 'St Cormac's Cave'. Its walls are carved with simple crosses.







St Cormac or St Charmaig was a 7th-century Irish monk who founded a monastery at Keills on the Tayvallich Peninsula. He is said to have used Eilean Mòr as an early Christian retreat.




This small ruined chapel on Eilean Mòr, known as St Cormac's Chapel, dates from the late 12th to early 13th century with alterations made in the 14th and 15th centuries. The broken 10th-century cross slab to the right of the photograph stands near the south east corner of the chapel and traditionally marks the site of St Cormac's grave.

[Mael Coluim]

Another excursion we took was to Celtic settlement on the Garvellach islands . The story we heard was that no women were allowed on Iona after St. Columba founded his monastery. His mother would sail from Ireland and meet him on this island settlement from time to time. When her husband (Columba’s father) died she came here to live permanently.






You can see a bee hive cell where the roof has collasped.


A 'group' os sea lions head back to the water

[Mael Coluim]

Nights were beautiful one Easdale. Here on some photos of a sunset.

You can see in the background the Paps of Jura island.

[Mael Coluim]

These are some photos around Easdale Island. It has quite a history with the slate industry. It’s a small island, but quite charming. The residents there are welcoming folks.



Sailboats in the harbor.



Ferry landing to Seil Island, just across the harbor.



We carried a inflatable zodiac which we used to go to Seil Island for provisions and fun!



Looking across the harbor to Seil Island.



Band saw once used to cut the slate.



Quarry that has flooded.

[Mael Coluim]

This wood carving was one of many by a local resident.



These wheelbarrows were used by the islanders to take their belongs from the ferry to their homes. No cars on the island.



Phyllis Logan is brining up some of our belongings to our the community center.



John with Robin having a bit of fun with wheelbarrow.



Cannons

More to come!

[Mael Coluim]

There is a famous whirlpool near Easdale Island called the Corryvreckan. According to legend, St. Columba calmed it with sprinkling of Holy Water. We took a charter ride out to it, see it for ourselves. The tide was not quite right for a maelstrom but it was interesting, nevertheless.