Synods of the Early Irish Church

march 2025

SYNODS OF THE EARLY IRISH CHURCH

Written by: D.P. Curtin

The history of the early Irish Church is a rich tapestry of missionary zeal, theological debates, and ecclesiastical organization. From its origins in the 4th and 5th centuries to its consolidation in the 6th and 7th centuries, the Church in Ireland played a crucial role in the Christianization of the island and the development of Christian practices. However, the Irish Church was also characterized by a unique and often independent ecclesiastical structure that stood apart from the Roman Church in many ways. Early synods in Ireland, which were gatherings of bishops, clergy, and sometimes secular leaders, were pivotal in shaping the ecclesiastical landscape. These synods often addressed theological disputes, church organization, and discipline, and they were instrumental in defining the identity of the Irish Church before the Norman Conquest in the 12th century.

The Christianization of Ireland is traditionally attributed to Saint Patrick, who is said to have arrived in Ireland in the early 5th century. This legacy of St. Patrick appears to be largely legendary, a collapsing of several early figures, including St. Palladius, into a singular personality. While the Latin speaking church on the continent was foundational to the establishment of Christianity on the island, the Irish Church developed independently from Rome during the early centuries. This development was marked by an Irish monasticism that was distinctive in its practices, such as the distinctive method of calculating the date of Easter, the use of the Irish tonsure (a different style of tonsure, or shaving of the head, than the Roman), and the organization of the Church around monastic centers rather than dioceses headed by bishops. The early Irish Church was not governed by a centralized ecclesiastical authority like the Roman Church. Instead, it was made up of various independent monastic communities, each with its own abbot who held significant authority. Bishops were appointed, but their role was often subordinate to that of the abbot in the Irish Church, which contrasted with the Roman hierarchical system where bishops held higher ecclesiastical power. It was against this backdrop of a decentralized Church that the early synods of the Irish Church were convened.

The earliest synodical gatherings in the Irish Church are largely unknown. We have fragments of their canons via the person of Abedoc the Hibernian, who grants only minor glimpses of the synods of the early Irish church. Moreover, there are a large number of synods of which we know nothing, they are simply a passing reference in his collection of Irish Canons, such as the Synod of Two Consuls of the Synod of Valentia. Later documents, such as the Synod attributed to St. Patrick, are also a historic curiosity, but present limited information about the nature of the early Irish church, as these are compositions which only begin to appear in the 8th century. The following is an attempt to reconstruct the Irish Synods during the medieval period with the limited documentation that has survived to the present:

Synod of Patrick, Auxilius, & Iserninius- 5th century, presided over by St. Patrick, Bishop of Ireland
Synod of Valentia Island- 5th century, presided over by St. Caillin, Abbot of Fenaugh
Synod of Tailtiu (Teltown)- 562 AD, presided over by Domnall Ilchelgach, High King of Ireland
1st Synod of Drum Cett- 575 AD, presided over by St. Comgall, Abbot of Bangor
1st Synod of Ballysadare- 575 AD, presided over by St. Muiredach, Bishop of Killala
2nd Synod of Dum Cett- 584 AD, presided over by St. Comgall, Abbot of Bangor
Synod of Old Leighlin (Mag Lena)- 630 AD, presided over by St. Ailbe, Bishop of Emly
1st Synod of Armagh- 634 AD. presided over by Tomene, Abbot of Armagh
Synod of Fore Abbey- 7th century, presided over by St. Fechin, Abbot of Fore
1st Synod of Tara- 692 AD, presided over by St. Adomnan, Abbot of Iona
1st Synod of Birr- 697 AD, presided over by St. Adomnan, Abbot of Iona
2nd Synod of Tara- 697 AD, presided over by Flan, Archbishop of Armagh
3rd Synod of Tara- 780 AD, presided over by St. Dublitter, Abbot of Armagh (?)
4th Synod of Tara- 804 AD, presided over by Condmach, Abbot of Armagh
2nd Synod of Armagh- 807 AD, presided over by Torbach, Abbot of Armagh
Synod of Inis Aingin- 899 AD, presided over by Cairbre Crom, Abbot of Clonmacnoise
Synod of Killaloe-1050 AD, presided over by Donnchad O’Brien, King of Munster
1st Synod of Dublin- 1084 AD, presided over by Toirdelbach O’Brien, High King of Ireland
1st Synod of Waterford- 1097 AD, presided over by Muirchertach O’Brien, High King of Ireland
1st Synod of Cashel- 1101 AD, presided over by Muirchertach O’Brien, High King of Ireland
Synod of Rath Bressail- 1111 AD, presided over by Muirchertach O’Brien, High King of Ireland
Synod of Uisneach- 1112 AD, presided over by Muirchertach O’Brien, High King of Ireland
2nd Synod of Ballysadare- 1134 AD, Unknown leadership
Synod of Inis Padraig- 1148 AD, presided over by St. Malachy, Archbishop of Armagh
Synod of Kells-Mellifont- 1152 AD, presided over by John Cardinal Paparo, Papal Legate
Synod of Mellifont-Drogheda- 1157 AD, presided over by Muirchertach Mac Lochlainn, High King of Ireland
Synod of Bri mac Thaidc- 1158 AD, presided over by Flaithbertach Ua Brolcháin, Abbot of Derry
Synod of Clane- 1162 AD, presided over by St. Laurence O’Tool, Archbishop of Armagh
Synod of Lismore- 1166 AD, presided over by Christian O’Connor, Bishop of Lismore
3rd Synod of Armagh- 1170 AD, presided over by St. Gelasius, Archbishop of Armagh
Synod of Tuam- 1172 AD, presided over by Rory O’Connor, High King of Ireland
2nd Synod of Cashel- 1172 AD, presided over by Christian O’Connor, Bishop of Lismore
2nd Synod of Waterford- 1173 AD, presided over by Augustine O’Selbaig, Bishop of Waterford
2nd Synod of Birr- 1174 AD, Unknown leadership
2nd Synod of Dublin- 1177 AD, presided over by John Cardinal Vivian, Papal Legate
Synod of Clonfert- 1179 AD, presided over by St. Laurence O’Tool, Archbishop of Armagh
3rd Synod of Dublin- 1186 AD, presided over by John Comyn, Archbishop of Dublin
4th Synod of Dublin- 1192 AD, presided over by John Comyn, Archbishop of Dublin
5th Synod of Dublin- 1202 AD, presided over by John of Salerno, Papal Legate
Synod of Athlone- 1202 AD, presided over by John of Salerno, Papal Legate
Synod of Mullingar- 1206 AD, presided over by Simon Rochfort, Bishop of Meath
Synod of Newtown Abbey- 1216 AD, presided over by Simon Rochford, Bishop of Meath
6th Synod of Dublin- 1217 AD, presided over by Henry de Loundres, Archbishop of Dublin
1st Synod of Drogheda- 1230 AD, presided over by Donal O'Fidabra, Archbishop of Armagh
Synod of Ferns- 1240 AD, presided over by John of St. John, Bishop of Ferns
2nd Synod of Drogheda- 1263 AD, presided over by Patricius O’Scanaill, Archbishop of Armagh
Synod of Trim-1291 AD, presided over by Nicholas Mac Mael Isu, Archbishop of Armagh
7th Synod of Dublin- 1291 AD, presided over by John de Sandford, Archbishop of Dublin
Synod of Ossory- 1317 AD, presided over by William FitzJohn, Archbishop of Cashel
8th Synod of Dublin- 1351 AD, presided over by John of St. Paul, Archbishop of Dublin
4th Synod of Armagh- 1353 AD, presided over by Richard FitzRalph, Archbishop of Armagh
5th Synod of Armagh- 1355 AD, presided over by Richard FitzRalph, Archbishop of Armagh
9th Synod of Dublin- 1367 AD, presided over by Thomas Minot, Archbishop of Dublin
6th Synod of Armagh- 1385 AD, presided over by John Colton, Archbishop of Armagh
Synod of Atrium Dei- 1407 AD, presided over by Nicholas Fleming, Archbishop of Armagh
7th Synod of Armagh- 1411 AD, presided over by Robert Montayne, Bishop of Meath
8th Synod of Armagh- 1427 AD, presided over by John Swayne, Archbishop of Armagh
Synod of Clogher-1430 AD, presided over by Art Mac Cathmhaoil, Bishop of Clogher
9th Synod of Armagh- 1433 AD, presided over by John Swayne, Archbishop of Armagh
10th Synod of Dublin- 1435 AD, presided over by Richard Talbot, Archbishop of Dublin
10th Synod of Armagh-1438 AD, presided over by John Swayne, Archbishop of Armagh
11th Synod of Dublin- 1440 AD, presided over by Richard Talbot, Archbishop of Dublin
11th Synod of Armagh- 1443 AD, presided over by John Mey, Archbishop of Armagh
12th Synod of Dublin- 1446 AD, presided over by Richard Talbot, Archbishop of Dublin
Synod of Cashel-Limerick- 1453 AD, presided over by John Cantwell, Archbishop of Cashel

Many of the synods listed here during the Anglo-Norman period do have surviving Latin documents granting at least partial insight into their consensus and canonical content. However, those synods prior to the Norman invasion are largely unknown, or have fragmentary documentation that survives to the present day. The various councils held directly at the Hill of Tara are perhaps the most elusive, as it appears to suggest a strong relationship been the confederate government of the High King and the Irish Church. However, no such document from this (with the exception of the Second Synod of Armagh) survives from this period. What is more later Norman church councils appear to largely ignored these early Gaelic synods and appear to have made not effort to conserve the documents relating to their canons.

One of the most famous synods that directly impacted the Irish Church was the Synod of Whitby (664 AD), held in England to settle the dispute between the Celtic (Irish) and Roman methods for calculating the date of Easter. This dispute had its roots in the differences between the Irish and Roman Christian practices that emerged early in the Christianization of the British Isles. The Roman Church followed the calculations established by the First Council of Nicaea (325 AD), while the Irish Church continued to follow its own tradition, which was based on the teachings of Celtic Christianity. The Synod of Whitby was convened by King Oswiu of Northumbria, who was seeking to unify the Christian practices in his kingdom. The two sides were represented by Wilfrid, who was a proponent of the Roman method, and Colmán, who supported the Irish tradition. The outcome of the synod favored the Roman calculation of Easter, and the Irish Church was expected to adopt the Roman method. Although the Synod of Whitby did not directly affect Ireland at the time, it had profound consequences. The Irish Church was slow to accept Roman liturgical practices, but over the next century, the influence of Rome began to be felt more strongly. The Synod of Whitby helped pave the way for future synods in Ireland that sought to reconcile these differences, and it ultimately led to the eventual alignment of the Irish Church with Rome in the 8th century.

One of the rare parochial synod to survive from the early Gaelic period is that of Druim Cett (also spelled Drumceat) was one of the earliest synods in Ireland that sought to address internal ecclesiastical issues and provide direction for the Irish Church. Held in 585 AD, this synod was called by Saint Aidan of Lindisfarne and other prominent Church leaders in the north of Ireland. The main purpose of the synod was to address disciplinary matters and define the role of the bishop in relation to the monastic communities. The synod also sought to establish unity between the monastic tradition and the episcopal hierarchy. The outcome of the synod confirmed the authority of the abbot over monastic communities, but it also recognized the bishop’s role in overseeing the wider spiritual and ecclesiastical affairs of the Irish Church. It was at Druim Cett that the practice of appointing bishops to preside over specific regions (rather than individual monastic communities) was affirmed, although the abbots still retained much of the power within their own communities.

While slightly outside the traditional timeframe of the Dark Ages, the Synod of Cashel (1101 AD) was crucial in the final reorganization of the Irish Church before the Norman Conquest. Convened by Pope Paschal II, the synod aimed to bring the Irish Church into closer alignment with Roman Catholicism, which had become increasingly influential in Western Europe. The synod addressed several key issues, including the proper administration of the sacraments, the standardization of Church law, and the recognition of papal authority over the Irish Church. One of the main results of the Synod of Cashel was the establishment of diocesan bishops with full authority over their territories, and this marked a significant departure from the Irish monastic tradition. The synod also saw the beginnings of the integration of the Irish Church into the broader Latin Christian world, aligning it more closely with Rome. This alignment would culminate in the following century with the arrival of the Normans, who brought with them a fully Romanized Church structure.

The early synods of the Irish Church during the Dark Ages and prior to the Norman Conquest played a vital role in shaping the religious identity of Ireland. These synods addressed critical theological issues, including the calculation of Easter and the relationship between monasticism and the episcopacy, which had lasting impacts on the Church in Ireland. Although the Irish Church initially developed independently, it gradually adopted many Roman practices, culminating in the reforms of the 11th and 12th centuries. The synods helped facilitate this transition, while also maintaining a distinct Irish identity that was rooted in its monastic tradition. By the time of the Norman Conquest, the Irish Church was in the midst of a transformation that would bring it closer to the Roman Church, laying the foundation for future ecclesiastical and political developments in medieval Ireland.