Columba's House is the place where the world-famous "Book of Kells" was probably finished and kept before being removed to the porticus of Columba's church, from where it was stolen in 1007 A.D. and then found again; minus its cover and some pages from the Gospel of John. The book was sent to Dublin by the Governor of Kells in 1654 for safety from Oliver Cromwell's cavalry and was presented to Trinity College Dublin in 1661, where it has been ever since; to the great displeasure of the people of Kells. The people of Kells quite rightly want the Book of Kells returned to the Kells, in Co. Royal Meath, whose name it bears and where it therefore rightfully belongs.
The house was built at least as far back as the 10th century and is an unusual construction being built entirely of stone and mortar, including the roof, probably to prevent it from being able to be burned by the Vikings. There is a loft in the barrel-vaulted roof; divided into three sections, with two small windows, one at each end. The roof can be visited by climbing up a long iron ladder. The fact that it is called Columba's House would indicate, either that there was an earlier construction there, inhabited by Columba and the present one replaced it, or, that the house itself is much earlier than the tenth century and that Columba (521-597) lived in it and that is how it got its name.
Local legend has it that there is an underground passage, from the house to the church, which is also mentioned in the Annals of the Four Masters. The passage is mentioned again in the Down Survey, done in the 17th century.
Columcille's (Columba - "dove" - 521-597 A.D. - the Hebrew word Jonah also means dove; note that Christ named Simon bar Jonah "Obedient son of dove", Cephas/Stone/Peter, in John 1:42; 2:15) House is where the original idea for the Book of Kells was probably inspired and also where the Book was probably finished. Columba as well as being remembered for his monasteries was also renowned as a prophet. He was, as all prophets have been, rejected, according to Adamnan, by the established clergy of the day and was driven out of Kells by them and so went to the Island of Iona, in Scotland, where he founded a monastery.
Adamnan reported that Columba was wrongly condemned by a synod held at Tailtiu (Teltown) in 563 A.D. to censure him and that there are strong indications that this conflict was connected with his resolve to leave Kells and Ireland.
Adamnan wrote his "Life of Columcille", around 685 A.D.
Nostradamus, the French prophet (1503-1566), studied Columba's prophecies and Columba himself (521-597) was very familiar with the writings of and about queen Teia Tephi of Tara, who lived at Teltown in the sixth century B.C., and there wrote her autobiography.
One of Columba's prophecies seems to be about now:-
The time will come when many will regret the days they have lived to see.
Men of literature will be neglected.
Falsehood and deceit will prevail.
Chapels and shrines will be plundered.
Sacred things will become the prey of thieves.
Learning will be oppressed and hence they will be brought low.
The powerful will oppress the poor with false laws and perverted judgement (James 5:4), and the aged and infirm will regret the time they have lived to see.
Strife and war will rage in every family.
Good neighbourhood will disappear and many will be treated with disrespect.
The trees shall not bear fruit.
There will be cold and hunger, malice, hatred and bad weather, and only the leaves on the trees will show the difference between summer and winter.
Men and women will fly in the air without wings, and will travel from one country to another under the ground (Channel Tunnel, etc.).
Pounds will be filled with cattle and jails with men.
Milk over the country will be churned in one churn.
Diseases will abound and remedies will fail.
Every race of mankind will become more wicked and all classes will be addicted to robbery.
Such is the description of people who will live in the ages to come.
Maidens will be unblushing and marriages without witnesses.
Columba (521-597).