Dúnchad mac Cinn Fáelad (also calledDunichad,Duncad, andDonatus; died 717) was the eleventhabbot ofIona (707–717). He was the son of Cenn Fáelad, and grandson ofMáel Coba, of theCenél Conaill. While most early abbots of Iona were members of Cenél Conaill they came from minor branches of the kindred, but Dúnchad came from the ruling line, grandson of oneHigh King of Ireland and the nephew of two others,Cellach andConall.
He is first heard of as Abbot of Killochuir on the coast of southeastern Ulster (perhapsKillough,County Down). He later became Abbot of Iona, although there is considerable dispute about this matter. TheAnnals of Ulster first mention him in that capacity in the year 707; butConamail of Iona is said to have been the abbot of Iona from 704 through 710. It is possible that Dúnchad served as acoadjutor (or principatum tenuit) of Conamail of Iona. He himself may have been elected in opposition to Abbot Conamail, while Dorbbéne in 713 andFáelchú in 716 may have been elected to oppose Dúnchad. It has also been suggested that at least some of these people may have coadjutors,priors, or possibly evenbishops at Iona at the time. The final agreement about the dating of Easter on Iona took place at the instance of St. Ecgberht of Northumbria, a priest who had been educated in Ireland, who successfully persuaded the community to abandon the Celtic Easter and tonsure.
When Dúnchad died in 717, Fáelchú continued in his position. In the same year of Dúnchad's death, KingNechtan mac Derile, the Gaelic ruler of thePicts, allegedly expelled the Ionan clergy from Pictland. His feast day is 25 May.
TheAnnals of the Four Masters (713.5), records the death of St. Dorbaine Foda, Abbot of Ia. Dorbbéne became abbot in 713, but died five months later on 25 October 713. Leslie Toke suggests that Dorbbéne may have been a coadjutors to St. Dunchadh, prior, or even a bishop.[1]Thomas Owen Clancy suggests that this interruption in Dúnchad's abbacy may reflect the politics between factions of monks at Iona at the time who disagreed about the dating of Easter.[2]
This article incorporates text from this source, which is in thepublic domain.
This article incorporates text from a publication now in thepublic domain: Herbermann, Charles, ed. (1913). "St. Dunchadh".Catholic Encyclopedia. New York: Robert Appleton Company.| Catholic Church titles | ||
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| Preceded by | Abbot of Iona 707–717 | Succeeded by |
