IONA (Hy). — A small island off the west coast of Scotland, which, according to the Venerable Bede, King Brude of the Picts gave to the Irishman St COLUMBA, who in 563 founded there a monastery that became famous for its school of writing and for the large number of its saints (St AIDAN, St FINAN, St COLUMBANUS, etc.). Until the Synod of Whitby (664), the monks of Iona evangelized both Scotland and Ireland.
A ceremony originated at Iona which later spread throughout Christian Europe: in 574 the new King of Ireland, Aidan, received royal unction at the hands of the abbot, St COLUMBA. Iona was the burial place of the early kings of Ireland and Scotland.
The strict rule of St COLUMBANUS of Luxeuil, followed by the monks, ensured that the moral standard remained always very high. The monks founded many monasteries, which, governed by provosts, remained dependent on the mother house. In 688 the abbot ADAMNAN (q.v.) accepted the Roman discipline, and in 715 the monks of St Columba were driven from the Kingdom of the Picts, and with this the particular life of the Irish-Scottish Church came to an end. The monastery suffered greatly from the Norse invasions: in 806, 68 monks were killed. In 986, after having been destroyed by the Normans themselves, the monastery was rebuilt by Queen St MARGARET of Scotland (q.v.). In 1203 it became a Benedictine abbey, and in 1567 it passed to the Anglican Church.
The present ruins of the Benedictine church contain fine capitals decorated with animals and foliage in the primitive Celtic style. The pointed arches date from the 13th century, while the tall Cross of St Martin, adorned with rich reliefs, belongs to the 10th century. To the north-east of the cathedral stands an ancient and very interesting little church in Celtic style.