Dunchad I of Iona

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Dunchad I of Iona (also called Dunichad, Duncad, and Donatus) (d. 717) was the eleventh abbot of Iona (707-717). He was the son of Ceannfaeladh and grandson of Maelcobha of the house of Conall Gulban. He is first heard of as Abbot of Killochuir on the coast of southeastern Ulster (perhaps Killough, County Down). He later become Abbot of Iona, although there is considerable dispute about this matter. The Annals of Ulster first mention him in that capacity in the year 706; but Conamail of Iona is said to have been the abbot of Iona from 704 through 710. It is possible that Dunchad served as a coadjutor (or prinipatum tenuit) of Conamail of Iona. He himself may have been elected in opposition to Abbot Conamail, while Dorbbéne in 713 and Fáelchú in 716 may have been elected to oppose Dunchad. It has also been suggested that he may have been elected in a power-struggle between factions of monks at Iona at the time who disagreed about the dating of Easter and the use of the tonsure. It has also been suggested that at least some of these people may have coadjustors, priors, or possibly even bishops at Iona at the time. The final argeement about the dating of Easter on Iona took place at the instance of St. Egbert of Northumbria, a priest who had been educated in Ireland, who was also instantly successful in persuading the community to abandon the Celtic Easter and tonsure. When Dunchad died in 717, Fáelchú continued in his position. It is notable that later in the same year of Dunchad's death, King Nechtan mac Derile, the Gaelic ruler of the Picts, allegedly expelled the Ionan clergy from Pictland.