Colman of Lindisfarne
Irish monk of Iona and third of the Irish bishops of Northumbria. He defended the Irish Easter at Whitby in 664, lost, and withdrew with his followers to Iona and then to the west of Ireland.
Colman was sent from Iona to succeed Finan as bishop of the Northumbrians, with his seat on Lindisfarne (Bede, Ecclesiastical History 3.25) (Bede, Ecclesiastical History 4.4). Bede counts three years for his episcopate, ending in 664 (Bede, Ecclesiastical History 3.26). At the Synod of Whitby he argued that the Irish Easter came down from the apostle John and from Columba (Bede, Ecclesiastical History 3.25).
After the king decided against him he left Northumbria with those who would not accept the Roman Easter and tonsure, taking some of the bones of Aidan. Bede, who thought him wrong on Easter, praises his frugality and says the king loved him for his good sense (Bede, Ecclesiastical History 3.26). He settled his monks on the island of Inishbofin off the west of Ireland and later founded a separate house at Mayo for the English among them (Bede, Ecclesiastical History 4.4).
In the timeline
- AD 664, firm dateThe Synod of Whitby
At Hilda’s monastery of Whitby, King Oswiu of Northumbria hears the Irish and the Roman parties argue over the date of Easter and decides for Rome, citing Peter’s keys. Bishop Colman and his followers leave for Iona and Ireland.
Primary sources
Ecclesiastical History of the English People
- Bede, Ecclesiastical History 3.25gutenberg.org
- Bede, Ecclesiastical History 4.4gutenberg.org
- Bede, Ecclesiastical History 3.26gutenberg.org