  St. Colmcille (Columba) was born in Gartan in 521 A.D. to Fedlimid and Eithne of the O Donnell house.On his father's side, he was a great-great-grandson of Niall of the Nine Hostages, an Irish high king of the 5th Century.
A large cross alongside the footpath that leads to Glenveagh National Park commemorates his birth. Other powerful relics of the saint include the Stone of Loneliness where St.Columba is believed to have slept, the Natal Stone where he supposedly first opened his eyes and gazed upon the world, and a nearby holy well.
Gartan is also the site of the Colmcille Heritage Center devoted to the life, work, and times of the saint.
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