Amra Choluim Chille / Dallán’s Elegy for Columba - Crua

Edited and translated by P.L. Henry, (alternatively written as Amrae Choluimb Chille) this remarkable poem was composed soon after St. Colm Cille’s death in 597 on the island of Iona off the Scottish coast and is the earliest datable work in Gaelic literature. Beautifully illuminated by award-winning artist Brian Ferran.

This remarkable poem was composed soon after St Colm Cille's death in 597 on the island of Iona off the Scottish coast. It is the earliest datable work in Gaelic literature and linguistically, one of the most problematic.

Professor P L Henry, one of a handful of experts on archaic Irish, has undertaken the formidable task of preparing a new edition of the Amra, the first since 1899. He has added an illuminating Foreword and translated the poem into English and modern Irish. A version in modern Scottish Gaelic has been provided by the distinguished poet Aonghas MacNeacail.

In 1965 the artist Brian Ferran won the Douglas Hyde Gold Medal at the Oireachtas with a painting on Colm Cille, a recurring theme in his work. He has responded to the Amra with a series of stunning paintings, beautifully complemented by the calligraphy of the Scottish artist Donald Murray.