Diarmait of Iona
Encyclopedia
Diarmait of Iona was Abbot of Iona
(814-?832). Thomas Owen Clancy
argues that Diarmait was one of the most important Céli Dé reformers, instrumental to the spread of the movement in Scotland, laying the ground for his successor Indrechtach. Many anecdotes about the rule and philosophy of the abbot were recorded in the Monastery of Tallaght, for which Diarmait was probably one of the main sources and inspirations.
Diarmait took over control of Iona
in 814 when his predecessor Cellach resigned, in the same year that Kells
had been founded. The same entry in the Annals of Ulster
that reported Cellach's resignation, tells us that Diarmait was the alumnus, the pupil or fosterson of a man called Daigre. Whatever his origin, Diarmait's abbacy was a troublesome one. In 817, Áed mac Néill
the king of the Cenél nEóghain killed the prior of Raphoe monastery, which compelled the Ionan monks to send a delegation to Tara to proclaim the latter king's exile. The next year it is reported by the Chronicon Scotorum
that Diarmait went to Scotland with the relics of Colum Cille
. It might be noted that the Annals of Innisfallen recorded that in the very next year, 819, Áed died on an expedition to Scotland. In 825, Iona was attacked by a group of Vikings, but Diarmait lived on, as it is reported in 829 that he went again to Scotland with the relics of Colum Cille. He is mentioned for the last time in 831, when the Annals of Ulster reported that "Diarmait came to Ireland with the halidoms (i.e. relics) of Colum Cille". His death date is actually unknown, and no successor of his is mentioned until the Annals of Ulster reports his successor Indrechtach's visit to Ireland with Columba's relics in 849.
Abbot of Iona
The Abbot of Iona was the head of Iona Abbey during the Middle Ages and the leader of the monastic community of Iona, as well as the overlord of scores of monasteries in both Scotland and Ireland, including Durrow, Kells and, for a time, Lindisfarne...
(814-?832). Thomas Owen Clancy
Thomas Owen Clancy
Professor Thomas Owen Clancy is an American academic and historian who specializes in the literature of the Celtic Dark Ages, especially that of Scotland. He did his undergraduate work at New York University, and his Ph.D at the University of Edinburgh. He is currently at the University of Glasgow,...
argues that Diarmait was one of the most important Céli Dé reformers, instrumental to the spread of the movement in Scotland, laying the ground for his successor Indrechtach. Many anecdotes about the rule and philosophy of the abbot were recorded in the Monastery of Tallaght, for which Diarmait was probably one of the main sources and inspirations.
Diarmait took over control of Iona
Iona
Iona is a small island in the Inner Hebrides off the western coast of Scotland. It was a centre of Irish monasticism for four centuries and is today renowned for its tranquility and natural beauty. It is a popular tourist destination and a place for retreats...
in 814 when his predecessor Cellach resigned, in the same year that Kells
Abbey of Kells
The Abbey of Kells is a former monastery located in Kells, County Meath, Ireland, 40 miles north of Dublin. It was founded in the early ninth century, and the Book of Kells was kept there during the later medieval and early modern periods before finally leaving the Abbey in the 1650s...
had been founded. The same entry in the Annals of Ulster
Annals of Ulster
The Annals of Ulster are annals of medieval Ireland. The entries span the years between AD 431 to AD 1540. The entries up to AD 1489 were compiled in the late 15th century by the scribe Ruaidhrí Ó Luinín, under his patron Cathal Óg Mac Maghnusa on the island of Belle Isle on Lough Erne in the...
that reported Cellach's resignation, tells us that Diarmait was the alumnus, the pupil or fosterson of a man called Daigre. Whatever his origin, Diarmait's abbacy was a troublesome one. In 817, Áed mac Néill
Áed Oirdnide mac Néill
Áed mac Néill , commonly called Áed Oirdnide, was King of Ailech. A member of the Cenél nEógain dynasty of the northern Uí Néill, he was the son of Niall Frossach. Like his father, Áed was reckoned High King of Ireland...
the king of the Cenél nEóghain killed the prior of Raphoe monastery, which compelled the Ionan monks to send a delegation to Tara to proclaim the latter king's exile. The next year it is reported by the Chronicon Scotorum
Chronicon Scotorum
Chronicon Scotorum is a medieval Irish chronicle.According to Nollaig Ó Muraíle, it is "a collection of annals belonging to the 'Clonmacnoise group', covering the period from prehistoric times to 1150 but with some gaps, closely related to the 'Annals of Tigernach'...
that Diarmait went to Scotland with the relics of Colum Cille
Columba
Saint Columba —also known as Colum Cille , Colm Cille , Calum Cille and Kolban or Kolbjørn —was a Gaelic Irish missionary monk who propagated Christianity among the Picts during the Early Medieval Period...
. It might be noted that the Annals of Innisfallen recorded that in the very next year, 819, Áed died on an expedition to Scotland. In 825, Iona was attacked by a group of Vikings, but Diarmait lived on, as it is reported in 829 that he went again to Scotland with the relics of Colum Cille. He is mentioned for the last time in 831, when the Annals of Ulster reported that "Diarmait came to Ireland with the halidoms (i.e. relics) of Colum Cille". His death date is actually unknown, and no successor of his is mentioned until the Annals of Ulster reports his successor Indrechtach's visit to Ireland with Columba's relics in 849.