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Ireland and the Making
of Britain
in Irish civilization of ecclesiastical authority with social
dignity. The line of abbots had many of the character-
1
istics of a royal dynasty, so that a genealogical table made
out by antiquarians contains fifteen abbots of lona who,
including Columcille, were all related to the reigning
families of Ulster, and descendants of the royal Conal
Culban, head of the Cinell Conaill.2
3. FRUGALITY AND DEVOTION OF THE IRISH CLERICS
Colman was bishop of Lindisfarne three years.
Fol-
lowing the synod of Whitby he resigned his see and
returned to Ireland, taking with him his Irish and English
followers. When Colman was gone back to his own country,
says Bede, Tuda was made bishop of the Northum-
brians in his place, having also the ecclesiastical tonsure
of his crown, according to the custom of that province
and observing the Catholic time of Easter. He was a
good and religious man but governed his church a very
short time; he came out of Ireland whilst Colman was
yet bishop, and, both by word and example, diligently
taught all persons those things that appertain to the faith
and truth. But, continues Bede, Eata, who was abbot of
the monastery of Melrose, which Aidan had established,
a most reverend and meek man, was appointed abbot over
the brethren that stayed in the church of Lindisfarne,
when the Irishmen went away. Colman, on his departure,
it appears, requested and obtained this of King Oswy,
because Eata was one of Aidan's twelve boys of the
English nation, whom he received when first made bishop
iSee "A Genealogical Table of the Early Abbots of Hy, showing Their
Affinity to One Another and Their Connections with the Chief Families of
Tyrconnell. Constructed from the Naehmseanchus," by Dr. Reeves; "Irish
Pedigrees," 2 vola, by John O'Hart, passim; Hill Burton, History of Scotland.
I. 247.
2Walahfrid Strabo (843) dwells on the high birth of Blaithmac, who
belonged to the family of Columcille; Regali de stirpe natus summumqu*
decorem nobilitatis habens florebat regius heres (Poetae Latini A. C. II, 297).
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