Flaitheas|Proinsias Mac a’ Bhaird|Leabhar Breac
Flaitheas is a wonderful historical novel, full of the sights, smells and sounds of Ireland 1,500 years ago
by Cathal Póirtéir
Proinsias Mac a Bhaird‘s latest novel tells the fascinating story of the early life of Colm Cille or St Columba, the revered Irish monk who features in traditional greetings along with Saint Patrick and Saint Bridget. His story as told here is an exciting mix of ecclesiastical and political intrigue in which the noble born Criomhthann (later Colm Cille) calls on his many and growing talents to leave his mark on the Ireland of his day. His fist big choice was to decide to do that in the religious rather than the secular sphere, despite the advantages that his birth and his family’s connections gave him.
The book is far from being a hagiography but is rather a warts and all portrait of an intelligent, complicated and flawed individual who had to battle internal and external forces to achieve what he did, founding a network of monasteries and spreading Christianity in Ireland and abroad. Readers of Flaitheas are introduced to a young and spirited Criomhthann before he feels a call to the religious life. He later begins his education and immerses himself in the rigours of monastic life in sixth century Ireland.
The book is far from being a hagiography but is rather a warts and all portrait of an intelligent, complicated and flawed individual who had to battle internal and external forces to achieve what he did
His talent as a calligrapher and illustrator of holy scripture was noted early on and his work on a psalter he illuminated for Finnian in the monastery in Má Bhile was highly prized by the older cleric. (An Chathach, now in the Royal Irish Academy). This early success was to lead to the eventual cause of his fleeing Ireland for Gaelic Scotland where he founded the important and influential monastery on Iona.
Internal and external conflicts
Flaitheas is a wonderful historical novel, full of the sights, smells and sounds of Ireland 1,500 years ago. We travel with Colm Cille from his native Gartán through wild and dangerous landscapes as he comes to terms with leaving home and family to follow his religious calling and the celibate monastic life he has decided to live. Wild animals and the machinations of his own and other dynasties threaten to thwart his ambitions but his energy, his faithful companion Cárthach and his strong belief in Christianity and in himself pull him through most of his difficulties.
Flaitheas is a wonderful historical novel, full of the sights, smells and sounds of Ireland 1,500 years ago
This is a very human, credible and exciting individual and from the beginning we are made privy to the internal and external conflicts that he has to deal with. Not all his decisions are good, and not all are commendable and this is part of the strength of the book. Ma a’ Bhaird lets us into the monk’s innermost thoughts, needs and desires as they drive Colm Cille to do what he does, for better or for worse.
Imagination and research
Many of us would be aware of the broad outline and major events of Colm Cille’s life (certainly this past-pupil of St Columb’s College in Doire Cholm Cille should be) but Mac a Bhaird fills in many gaps with wonderful imagination and impressive historical research. He does however skip over what could have been repetitive stories of founding monastery after monastery
In this telling, one of the major causes of conflict in the saint’s life is the struggle between the arrogance and entitlement that his upbringing and personality have given him and the conflicting need to accept the discipline and humility dictated by the religious life he chose. His falling out with his one time abbot Finnian and his eventual theft of the psalter that he had illustrated in his youth lead to bitter feelings and a tragic outcome when he tries to negotiate to his own people’s (Cineál Chonaill) advantage over Dál Araidh, Dál Riada and Dál Fiatach. He finds that he has badly misjudged his own standing and the consequences of his actions.
Mac a Bhaird’s narrative ends with the tragic and bloody events that led to Colm Cille’s exile and it makes this reader wonder if there is a possibility of a follow up volume. The author has previously included some of Colm Cille’s life in Scotland as a sub-plot in his excellent novel Tairngreacht but that would not preclude him from treating us to a sustained and full account of Colm Cille and his Iona years.
The author has won many prizes and awards over the years for poetry, adult fiction and books for younger readers and he is recognised as one of the major contemporary writers in Irish. Flaitheas is Proinsias Mac a Bhaird’s fifth novel and his best yet. I recommend it to anyone who wants a good story well told.
