Probably the first copyright dispute in
Ireland took place between St Columba or Colmcille
and St Finian, Colmcille had borrowed a Palster and surreptitiously
made a copy of it, when Finian found out he demanded the copy.
Colmcille refused and the matter went to arbitration at the court
of High King Diarmuid, who decided in favour of St Finian with
the famous ruling 'To every cow its calf, to every book its copy.'
Colmcille refused to accept the ruling
and when Diarmuid killed a youth whom Colmcille had given sanctury,
he persuaded his kinsmen the ONeills to wage war on Diarmuid,
the ONeills were victorious at the Battle of Cooldrumman (Culdremna)
north of Sligo in AD 561 which is reputed to have cost three thousand
lives.
A Synod was held at Tailte, County Meath,
at this Colmcille was ordered to convert a equal number of pagans.
He moved to the island of Iona on the Scottish west coast, where
he founded a monestary there he set about converting the Pictish
tribes to Christianity, his actions were largely responsible for
the foundation of the Scottish Kingdom of Dalriada which had close
links with County Antrim.
