Ecgberht at Iona
Archived: 1 November 2026
Abstract
In 716, Northumbrian priest Ecgberht persuaded Iona to adopt the Roman Easter calculation and clerical tonsure, ending its adherence to the older 84-year cycle. Confirmed by Bede and Irish annals, this change affected the Columban network across Ireland, Scotland and Northumbria, requiring new tables, learning and acceptance among dependent houses. Fáelchú assumed Columba’s seat on 29 August, amid uncertain leadership arrangements before Abbot Dúnchad’s death in 717. In Ireland, Fogartach of Síl nÁedo Sláine regained power in Brega, though authority remained contested. The death of Clones’s abbot illustrates monastic networks embedded within rural, agrarian society and their dependence on labour.
