In one of his journeys he visited St. Columba at Iona, and afterwards sailed as far as the Orkneys, where the pagan people were minded to put him to death. But one of the chiefs had long before made a solemn promise to St. Columba, who had seen in vision the coming of Cormac to the islands and his threatened death, that no harm should happen to him in the Orkneys. This intervention was successful.
Neither the place nor time of St. Cormac's death is known with any certainty, but an ancient Irish tradition asserts that he returned to Durrow and was buried there.
A fragment still exists of the "Crozier of Durrow", which is considered to be the most ancient relic of its kind now extant. It is believed to have belonged to the founder of Durrow, the great Columba, and to have been given by him to his disciple, Cormac.
22—St. Suibhne, Abbot, A.D. 772.
This saint was the sixteenth Abbot of Iona. There had been before him another abbot of {97} the same name. Suibhne, pronounced "Sweeney", is identical with an Irish appellation not uncommon in our day.
25—St. Moluag or Lughaidh, Bishop. A.D. 592.
This saint was born in Ireland and became a monk in the renowned abbey of Bangor. He was so fervent a follower of monastic life that, as St. Bernard testifies, he founded no less than a hundred monasteries. Fired with missionary zeal, he left his native land to preach to the pagans of Scotland. Tradition says that the rock on which he stood detached itself from the Irish coast and became a raft to bear him across the waters to the island of Lismore, in Loch Linnhe, where he landed. St. Moluag converted the people of the island to Christianity, and then moved into Ross-shire, where he built many churches, dedicating them to the Mother of God.
He lived to extreme old age, and died at Rosemarkie on the Moray Firth. Here he is said by some to have been buried, but his relics must in that case have been afterwards translated to Lismore; for his remains were honoured in the cathedral there, which was H {98} called after him.
Great devotion was shown to this saint in Catholic ages both in Scotland and Ireland. There were many dedications to him in Scotland. At Lismore, the cathedral of Argyll bore his name. Other churches were dedicated to him at Clatt and Tarland, Aberdeenshire; Mortlach, Banffshire; Alyth, Perthshire; also in Skye, Mull, Raasay, Tiree, Pabay, Lewis and other islands. An ancient burial ground at Auchterawe, near Fort Augustus, styled Kilmalomaig, is called after this saint. In these dedications his name appears in various forms. The original Celtic name Lughaidh (pronounced Lua) became changed, as in many other cases, by the addition of the title of honour mo, as a prefix, and the endearing suffix ag.
At Clatt was held annually for eight days "St. Mallock's Fair", and at Tarland "Luoch Fair". Others were held at Ruthven (Forfarshire) and at Alyth; at the latter place the fair was styled "St. Malogue's". At Mortlach, where some of the saint's relics were preserved, an abbey was founded in 1010 by Malcolm II. in thanksgiving for a victory obtained over the Danes in that place, after the Scottish army {99} had invoked the aid of Our Lady and St. Moluag. His holy well was nearby.