Howitt, William; Howitt, Mary Botham; Bedford, Francis [Oth.]: Ruined abbeys and castles of Great Britain (London: A. W. Bennett, 1862)

IONA, OR ICOLMKILL. 51
But, Aodh, the roof lies low,
And the thiftle-down waves bleaching,
And the bat flits to and fro,
Where the Gael once heard thy preaching :
And fallen is each columned aifle
Where the chiefs and the people knelt.
’Twas near that temple’s goodly pile
That honoured of men they dwelt.
For Aodh was wife in the facred law,
And bright Reullura’s eyes oft faw
The veil of fate uplifted.
Alas, with what vifions of awe
Her soul in that hour was gifted !
When the faint had confounded the marauders by his prefence,
and deftroyed their chief-
A remnant was called together,
A doleful remnant of the Gael,
And the Saint in the fhip that had brought him hither
Took the mourners to Innisfail.*
Unfcathed they left Iona’s ftrand,
When the opal morn fifft fluflied the Iky,
For the Norfe dropped fpear, and bow, and brand,
And looked on them fllently.
Safe from their hiding-places came
Orphans and mothers, child and dame :
But alas ! when the fearch for Reullura fpread
No anfwering voice was given,
For the fea had gone over her lovely head,
And her fpirit was in heaven.
And fo the cataftrophe of the venerable Iona was complete ;
the mourners returned to Innisfail, and the church and the
fchools of the Culdees remained defolate till made the feat of a
papal abbacy.

* Ireland.