The poem ‘In Relig Odhran’ was published in a recent collection of Neil Gaiman’s short stories called ‘Trigger Warning’. It tells the tale of two saints who land on the island of Iona, and attempt to build a chapel there.
But things don’t go smoothly and the ritual murder of one saint by the other begins a chain of events that brings into question everything they believe. It’s the kind of story that gets stuck in your head for days, it’s rhythm bringing back words to haunt you in the quiet hours.
“This is a true story. Well, as true as any story about a sixth-century Irish saint can be. The churchyard is there, on Iona. You can even visit it.” – Neil Gaiman, Trigger Warning