Of the sources themselves, ome might do worse than browse through
Adomnan's 'Life of St Columba'.
The standard edition is by A.O and M.O Anderson Oxford University Press
1991 (first edition 1961). An excellent addition is the new Penguin
Classics edition by Richard Sharpe (only translation) with a thorough
introduction to early Irish monasticism (c. 99 pages). + other saint's lives.
Another source which should be consulted is Bede's 'Historia ecclestica'.
Irish law-texts (introduction to them by F.Kelly: A Guide to Early Irish
Law), The Irish Penitentials (ed. L.Bieler) etc.
Of secondary literature:
M.J. Enright has done some interesting work on th topic (e.g. 'Royal
succession and abbatial prerogative in Adomn\an's Vita Columba' Peritia
(1985)).
Maire Herbert: Iona, Kells, and Derry: the history and hagiography of the
monastic familia of Columba (1988).
Anything by Padraig O'Riain.
A new history of early Medieval Ireland should be out any day now
(launched in october 1995): Daibhi O Croinin: Early Medieval Ireland 400
- 1200 (Longman History of Ireland 1.) Naturally, I havn't
read it yet, but the table of contents given in the sales-promotion
leaflet looks very interesting in this matter.
Tom Sjblom
Department of Study of Religions
University of Helsingfors (Finland)
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