Parish of Kirk Arbory or Columba This parish is dedicated to two saints, St. Cairpre of Coleraine and Saint Columba, and this dual dedication has persisted to the present day, the parish bearing the name of Cairbre or Cairpre, and the parish church Columba. Under the attraction of final ‘k’ in ‘kirk’, Kirk Carbery has become Kirk Arbory. In the 13th century the bishops of Mann and the Isles owned the parish church of Arbory and a great deal of land surrounding it, which by the beginning of the 16th century had shrunk to one twelfth. A fair was formerly held in the parish on Laa’l Colum Killey, ‘Saint Columba’s Day,’ (O.S., June 9 N.S., June 20); this was later transferred to St. Barnabas’ Day, (O. S. June 11; N. S. June 22). There was also a fair held in Ballabeg, in this parish, on Laa’l Simon, ‘St. Simon’s Day,’ Oct. 28th., and it is quite possible that this fair was originally dedicated to the patronal saint Cairbre, whose dedication date was Oct. 11th.

The parish of Kirk Arbory extends about 6 miles in ength from north to south, and two miles in breadth from east to west. The area of Kirk Arbory is 4477.238 acres. The parish church is situated on the main road, in the village of Ballabeg. Kirk Arbory has not such an extensive coast line as Kirk Christ and Kirk Malew, and numerically its place names suffer in comparison. The greater part of these are post. Scandinavian, but the name Colby indicates Norse settlement, and it is probable that many Norse names have been displaced by Gaelic ones. BYMACAN FRIARY It was in this parish where the famous Periwinkle Fair was held on Shrove Tuesday, the principal commodities offered for sale being periwinkles and ginger-bread. Near Ballabeg may be seen an old chapel which belonged to a monastery of Franciscans founded in 1373. William de Montecute, Earl of Salisbury, (King of Man) petitioned Pope Urban V to allow the introduction to the Island of the Friars Minor proposing to assign a place for the labours and use of these Friars in the village of Saint Columba. The Pope agreed to the construction of a church or oratory, with a bell tower, bell, cemetery, houses and other necessary offices. Why the Earl introduced these friars, who came from Ireland rather than England, is unknown, possibly to counteract the influence of the Cistercians. The friary, dedicated to St Francis, was built around 1373, on an older Celtic site, and dissolved by Henry VIII at the reformation. Little else is known of the work of the friary which never seemed to have much influence though did give the Island one of its Bishops.