The Abbot of Iona was the head of Iona Abbey

Iona Abbey

Iona Abbey is located on the Isle of Iona, just off the Isle of Mull on the West Coast of Scotland. It is one of the oldest and most important religious centres in Western Europe. The abbey was a focal point for the spread of Christianity throughout Scotland and marks the foundation of a monastic...

 during the Middle Ages

Middle Ages

The Middle Ages is a periodization of European history from the 5th century to the 15th century. The Middle Ages follows the fall of the Western Roman Empire in 476 and precedes the Early Modern Era. It is the middle period of a three-period division of Western history: Classic, Medieval and Modern...

 and the leader of the monastic community 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...

, as well as the overlord of scores of monasteries in both Scotland and Ireland, including Durrow

Durrow

Durrow is a small rural village in County Offaly, Ireland. Durrow is located on the N52 off the N6 road between Kilbeggan and Tullamore .Famous for being the Ancestral home of the Champion ploughman Luke Bracken. and Dean McDermott, Offaly Bord na Scol runner up,...

, 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...

 and, for a time, Lindisfarne

Lindisfarne

Lindisfarne is a tidal island off the north-east coast of England. It is also known as Holy Island and constitutes a civil parish in Northumberland...

. It was one of the most prestigious clerical positions in Dark Age Europe, and was visited by kings and bishops of the Picts

Picts

The Picts were a group of Late Iron Age and Early Mediaeval people living in what is now eastern and northern Scotland. There is an association with the distribution of brochs, place names beginning 'Pit-', for instance Pitlochry, and Pictish stones. They are recorded from before the Roman conquest...

, Franks

Franks

The Franks were a confederation of Germanic tribes first attested in the third century AD as living north and east of the Lower Rhine River. From the third to fifth centuries some Franks raided Roman territory while other Franks joined the Roman troops in Gaul. Only the Salian Franks formed a...

 and English

Anglo-Saxons

Anglo-Saxon is a term used by historians to designate the Germanic tribes who invaded and settled the south and east of Great Britain beginning in the early 5th century AD, and the period from their creation of the English nation to the Norman conquest. The Anglo-Saxon Era denotes the period of...

. The Ionan abbots also had the status of Comarba of Colum Cille, i.e. the successors of that Saint, Columba

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...

.

Iona's position as head of the Columban network (familia) of churches declines, with abbots based at Derry, Raphoe, Kells and Dunkeld. In Scotland, the abbots of Dunkeld ruled much of central Scotland in the 11th century, and functioned as one of the most important politicians of northern Britain. One of the abbots, Crínán

Crínán of Dunkeld

Crínán of Dunkeld was the lay abbot of the diocese of Dunkeld, and perhaps the Mormaer of Atholl. Crínán was progenitor of the House of Dunkeld, the dynasty which would rule Scotland until the later 13th century....

 married Bethóc ingen Maíl Coluim

Bethóc

Bethóc ingen Maíl Coluim meic Cináeda was the eldest daughter of King Máel Coluim mac Cináeda, King of Scots, who had no known sons.The strongest hereditary claim of succession to the Scottish throne therefore passed through Bethóc. Princess Bethóc married Crínán, Abbot of Dunkeld. The first son of...

, the daughter of King Máel Coluim II

Malcolm II of Scotland

Máel Coluim mac Cináeda , was King of the Scots from 1005 until his death...

, and became the progenitor of the so-called House of Dunkeld

House of Dunkeld

The so-called House of Dunkeld, in Scottish Gaelic Dùn Chailleann , is a historiographical and genealogical construct to illustrate the clear succession of Scottish kings from 1034 to 1040 and from 1058 to 1290.It is dynastically sort of a continuation to Cenél nGabráin of Dál Riata, "race of...

, who ruled Scotland until the later thirteenth century. Dunkeld became a bishopric, and the monks based at Inchcolm Abbey

Inchcolm Abbey

Inchcolm Abbey is a medieval abbey located on the island of Inchcolm in the Firth of Forth in Scotland. The Abbey, which is located at the centre of the island, was founded in the 12th century during the episcopate of Gregoir, Bishop of Dunkeld. Later tradition placed it back in the reign of King...

 became Augustinians

Augustinians

The term Augustinians, named after Saint Augustine of Hippo , applies to two separate and unrelated types of Catholic religious orders:...

.

At the beginning of the thirteenth century, the monks of Iona adopted the Benedictine rule. Iona was re-endowed in 1203 by Raghnall mac Somhairle

Raghnall mac Somhairle

Ragnall mac Somairle, or Ragnall son of Somairle, was a late 12th century and possibly early 13th century magnate, seated on the western seaboard of Scotland. He was likely a younger son of Somairle mac Gilla Brigte, Lord of Argyll and his wife, Ragnhildr, daughter of Óláfr Guðrøðarson, King of...

, son of Somerled

Somerled

Somerled was a military and political leader of the Scottish Isles in the 12th century who was known in Gaelic as rí Innse Gall . His father was Gillebride...

, king of Argyll and the Isles.

List of abbots of Iona to 891

Early abbots of Iona
Incumbent	Until	Citation(s)	Notes
Colum Cille mac Fedelmtheo	Died 9 June 597
Baithéne mac Brénaind Baithéne mac Brénaind Baithéne mac Brénaind was an Irish monk, specially selected by St. Columba as one of the band of missionaries who set sail for what is now Scotland in 563....	Died 9 June 598
Lasrén mac Feradaig	Died 16 September 605
Fergno Britt mac Faílbi	Died 2 March 623		Known primarily as Virgno
Ségéne mac Fiachnaí	Died 12 August 652
Suibne moccu Fir Thrí	Died 11 January 657
Cumméne Find	Died 24 February 669
Fáilbe mac Pípáin	Died 22 March 679
Adomnán mac Rónáin	Died 23 September 704
Conamail mac Faílbi	Deposed(?) 707		Died 11 September 710
Dúnchad mac Cinn Fáelad	Deposed(?) June 713 (restored 713 x 716) Died 25 May 717
Dorbbéne mac Altaíni	Died 28 October 713		Also called Dorbbéne Foto
Fáelchú mac Dorbbéni	Deposed/resigned 722		Died 724
Fedelmid	Deposed(?) before 722		Died 759
Cilléne Fota	Died 726
Cilléne Droichtech	Died 752
Sléibíne mac Congaile	Resigned before 766		Died 767
Suibne	Resigned 771		Died 801
Bresal mac Ségéni	Died 801
Connachtach	Died 802
Cellach mac Congaile	resigned 814		Died 815
Diarmait daltae Daigri Diarmait of Iona Diarmait of Iona was Abbot of Iona . 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...	Resigned 831		Died in or after 831 Blathmac mac Flainn Blathmac Saint Blathmac was a distinguished Irish monk, b. in Ireland about 750. He was murdered and became a martyr in Iona, about 825. His biography written by Strabo, the Benedictine Abbot of Reichenau , and thus the story of his martyrdom has been handed down.Balathmac, the scion of a noble family,...  was martyred on Iona in 825.
Indrechtach ua Fínnachta	Resigned before 854		Died 854
Cellach mac Ailello	Died 865		Cellach had been abbot of Kildare since 852
Feradach mac Cormaic	Died 880
Flann mac Maíle Dúin	Died 20 April 891

List of comarbai Coluim Cille and abbots of Iona, 891–1099

During that abbacies of Diarmait and Indrechtach, almost certainly because of Viking attacks, the relics of Columba were moved to other monastic houses in the Columban familia, such as 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...

, Raphoe and Dunkeld

Dunkeld

Dunkeld is a small town in Strathtay, Perth and Kinross, Scotland. It is about 15 miles north of Perth on the eastern side of the A9 road into the Scottish Highlands and on the opposite side of the Tay from the Victorian village of Birnam. Dunkeld and Birnam share a railway station, on the...

. The position of abbot on Iona ceases to have the same significance within the Columban monastic familia, and many comarbai are not based on the island.

Comarbai Coluim Cille to 1099
Incumbent	Chief monastery	Until	Citation(s)	Notes
Máel Brigte mac Tornáin	Iona/Armagh	Died 22 February 927		Máel Brigte had been abbot of Armagh from 883, and may not have spent much time on Iona
Dubthach mac Dubáin	Raphoe	Died 938
Cáenchomrac	Iona	Died 947		Was definitely abbot of Iona, but may not have been coarb of Coluim Cille
Robartach	Raphoe	Died 954
Dub Dúin ua Stepháin	unknown	Died 959
Dub Scoile mac Cináeda	unknown	Died 964
Mugrón	Iona	Died 980/81		Styled "coarb of Colum Cille in Ireland and Scotland"
Máel Ciaráin ua Maigne	Iona	Martyred 24 December 986		Killed by Vikings
Dúnchad Ua Robacháin	Raphoe	Died 989
Dub dá Leithe mac Cellaig	unknown	Died June 998		Dub dá Leithe had been abbot of Armagh from 965
Máel Brigte mac Rímeda	Iona	Died 1005		Was definitely abbot of Iona, but may not have been coarb of Coluim Cille
Muiredach mac Crícháin	Raphoe	Resigned 1007		Died 1011; Muiredach was also fer léigind of Armagh
Ferdomnach	Kells	Died 1008
Máel Muire Ua hUchtáin	Kells	Died 1009
Flandabra	Iona	Died 1025		Styled "coarb of Iona"
Máel Eóin Ua Toráin	Derry	Died 1025		Styled "coarb of Derry"
Máel Muire ua hUchtáin	Kells/Raphoe	Died 1040		Máel Muire was abbot of both Kells and Raphoe
Murchad mac Flainn ua Máel Sechlainn	Kells (?)	Deposed (?) 1057		Murchad was abbot of Conard from 1055, as well as briefly king of Mide in 1073; his most likely Columban holding would be Kells.
Robartach mac Ferdomnaig	Kells	Died 1057
Gilla Críst Ua Maíl Doraid	unknown	Died 1062		Gilla Críst was called "coarb of Colum Cille in Ireland and Scotland".
Mac meic Báethéne	Iona	Died 1070
Domnall mac Robartaig	Kells	Resigned before 1098
Donnchad mac meic Máenaig	Iona	Died 1099

List of comarbai Coluim Cille at Kells and Derry

None of the following comarbai Coluim Cille are based at Iona, but rather Kells and Derry.

Comarbai Coluim Cille from 1099 to the 1220s
Incumbent	Chief monastery	Until	Citation(s)	Notes
Ferdomnach Ua Clucáin	Kells	Died 1114
Máel Brigte mac Rónáin	Kells	Died 1117
Conaing Ua Becléigind	Kells	Died 1128
Gilla Adamnáin Ua Coirthnén	Kells	—		Gilla Adamnáin was a priest of Durrow who later became abbot of Kells.
Gilla Meic Liac mac Diarmata	Derry	Archbishop from 1137		Gilla Meic Liac (Gelasius) had been abbot of Derry since 1121, and was consecrated archbishop of Armagh Archbishop of Armagh The Archbishop of Armagh is the title of the presiding ecclesiastical figure of each of the Roman Catholic Church and the Church of Ireland in the region around Armagh in Northern Ireland...  in 1137; he died on 27 March 1174.
Muiredach Ua Clucáin	Kells	Died 1154
Flaithbertach Ua Brolcháin	Derry	Died 1175
Gilla Meic Liac Ua Branáin	Derry	Resigned 1198
Gilla Críst Ua Cernaig	Derry	Died 1210
Fonachtan Ua Branáin	Derry	Died 1220
Flann Ua Brolcháin	Derry	Deposed 1220
Muichertach Ua Milliuc	Derry	Died

List of Benedictine abbots of Iona

Abbots of Iona in the Benedictine era
Incumbent	Period	Citation(s)	Notes
Cellach	fl. 1203–04
Amhalgaid Ó Fearghail	fl. 1204		c. 1204 the house of Derry installs Amhalgaid in opposition to Cellach
Fionnlagh	fl. c. 1320
Peadar	Died or resigned 1357
Finghuine mac Ghille-Brìghde MacFhionghain	c. 1357–1405
Eóin mac Gofraidh MacAlasdair	1405–c.1421
Dominic mac Ghille-Coinnich	1421–1444 x 1465
Aonghas mac Aonghais	postulated 1465		Aonghas was son of Aonghas Óg Aonghas Óg Aonghas Óg was a Scottish nobleman who was the last independent Lord of the Isles.-Biography:He was the bastard son of John of Islay, Earl of Ross . Aonghas became a rebel against both his father and against the Scottish crown... .
Eóin MacFhionghain	1467–1498		Eóin was son of Lachlan MacFhionghain.

List of abbot-commendators

Abbot-commendators of Iona
Incumbent	Period	Citation(s)	Notes
Eóin Caimbeul I	1499–1510
George Hepburn George Hepburn George Hepburn was the son of Adam Hepburn and brother to Patrick Hepburn, the first Earl of Bothwell.He was a churchman, and served firstly as postulate Abbot of Arbroath, before becoming Lord High Treasurer of Scotland for a brief spell in 1509...	1510–1513		Died at the battle of Flodden, 9 September 1513
Eóin Caimbeul II	1514–1532
Ailean MacGill-Eathain	provided 1526
Seumas Sdíbhard	crown nomination 1529		A kinsman of the earl of Lennox, he was abbot of Dryburgh Abbot of Dryburgh The Abbot of Dryburgh was the head of the Premonstratensian community of canons regular of Dryburgh Abbey in the Scottish Borders. The monastery was founded in 1150 by canons regular from Alnwick Abbey with the patronage of Hugh de Morville, Lord of Lauderdale... .
Fearchar Mac Eachainn	1528–1544 x 1546
Ruairidh MacGill-Eathain	1544–1552 x 1553
Ruairidh MacAlasdair	1545–1546
Ailean Mac an Toisic	1546
John Hay	postulate 1547
Pádraig MacGill-Eathain	1547–1552
Alexander Gordon	1553–1562
Eóin Caimbeul III	1557–1560 x 1562
Pádraig MacGill-Eathain (again)	1560–1565
Séon Carsuel Séon Carsuel Séon Carsuel was a 16th-century Scottish prelate, humanist and Protestant reformer...	1565–1572
Lachlan MacGill-Eathain	c. 1567		Despite Scottish Reformation Scottish Reformation The Scottish Reformation was Scotland's formal break with the Papacy in 1560, and the events surrounding this. It was part of the wider European Protestant Reformation; and in Scotland's case culminated ecclesiastically in the re-establishment of the church along Reformed lines, and politically in... , he was suspected of having received license from Mary, Queen of Scots, to go to the Pope to received the abbey and the bishopric of the Isles, but denied the allegation and renounced his claims to Carsuel.
Eóin Caimbeul III (again)	1572–1581
Alasdair Caimbeul	1581–1615		The abbey was annexed to the bishopric of the Isles on 11 August 1615; Alasdair Caimbeul was still alive on 30 September 1619.