Maol Muire and others Dunain

Maol Muire Ua Dunáin [ ˈm ^u eːl ˈm ^u irʲə oːˈdunaːɲ ] (* 1040 in Ireland ; † 9 January 1117 in Clonard ) was Bishop of the Iroschottischen Church of Meath , first Archbishop of Cashel and legate of Pope Paschal II. He was the leading Reformer of the Irish Church at the beginning of the 12th century, who succeeded in the synods of 1101 and 1111 to liberate the church from secular control and to introduce a more modern diocesan administration in Ireland.

Career as a leading reformer

Little is known about Maol Muire's early life. Nor can his name be linked to one of the leading families at the time. It is believed that he began his religious life as a monk in the important early Christian monastery of Clonard . The earliest mention of his name can be found on a document that was created around 1092 and was later copied into the Book of Kells . Here he is named as the Bishop of Meath .

At the end of the 11th century Maol Muire joined the reformers around Domnall Ua hÉnna , the then leading bishop of Munster . Domnall was in close correspondence with Lanfranc of Canterbury and his successor Anselm . In 1096 the reformers sent Mael Iosa Ua h-Ainmire to Anselm with the petition, also signed by Maol Muire, to consecrate Mael Iosa as Bishop of Waterford .

When Domnall died in 1098, the leadership of the Irish reformers fell to Maol Muire. The exact circumstances of Maol Muire's appointment as papal legate are unknown. But it is very likely that he traveled to Rome with the support of his King Muirchertach Ua Briain and the recommendation of Anselm to meet the newly elected Pope Paschal II in 1099 . Paschalis continued that from his predecessors Leo IX. and Gregory VII , with the help of legates who had far-reaching powers and who could take decisions with papal authority to advance the reform movement in Europe. This was particularly beneficial for remote countries such as Ireland.

Activity as papal legate

The Synod of Cashel was organized by Maol Muire and his King Muirchertach Ua Briain in 1101, which together with the following synods of 1111 in Rathbreasail and 1152 in Kells led to the reform of the Irish Church. A major achievement of the Synod of 1101 was the guaranteed independence of ecclesiastical property and ecclesiastical offices from secular rulers. Accordingly, the practice of hereditary passing on of church offices to lay people was declared inadmissible.

After Cellach Mac Aodh became successor in Armagh , the opportunity arose to implement the reforms outside the sphere of influence of King Muirchertach. Cellach could be won over to the reform side and was most likely ordained bishop by Maol Muire in Munster in 1106 . Another reformer was won after Gilbert came to Ireland after meeting Anselm in Rouen in the summer of 1106 and was probably ordained Bishop of Limerick by Maol Muire at the end of the year . Gilbert played an important role in the further reform process when he was appointed legate in 1110 or 1111 as the successor to Maol Muire.

Work as Archbishop of Cashel

The now larger reform group of Gilbert, Maol Muire and Cellach, with the support of King Muirchertach, succeeded in introducing a modern diocesan administration in Ireland in the Synod of Rathbreasail in 1111. Here Maol Muire became the first archbishop of the newly created Archdiocese of Cashel and thus clerical leader in the southern part of Ireland.

When King Muirchertach fell ill in 1114, there was a conflict that lasted for years between him and his brother Diarmaid. Seizing the opportunity, Diarmaid was able to drive his brother from Limerick to Killaloe . However, Muirchertach was released and was able to regain control. However, in the course of the conflict, his son Domnall fell into the hands of Diarmaid, who threatened to blind Domnall if Muirchertach did not accept his terms. To save his son, Muirchertach gave up his claim.

At the age of 76, Maol Muire retired to Clonard and died there in 1117.

swell

• Annals of Ulster with the entries U1098.8, U1111.8, U1117.6, U1117.7 and U1118.2.
• Annals of the four masters with the entries M1101.5, M1111.5, M1117.8 and M1118.2.
• Annals of Loch Cé with the entry LC1111.6.
• Annals of Tigernach with the entries T1111.6 and T1117.2.
• Annals of traps with the entries AI1111.3 and AI1117.4.
• Chronicon Scotorum with the entries CS1111 and CS1117.
• Mac Carthaigh's book with the entries MCB1114.1, MCB1114.2, MCB1114.3, MCB1115.6, MCB1116.1 and MCB1117.1.
• Correspondence between the Archbishops of Canterbury Lanfranc and Anselm and various members of the Irish reformers. An overview of this can be found in the work of James F. Kenney, The Sources for the Early History of Ireland: Ecclesiastical , 1929. Most recently reprinted in 1997 by Four Courts Press, Dublin. ISBN 1-85182-115-5 .
• Charter No. III from the Book of Kells . An overview of the documents from the Book of Kells can also be found in Kenney's work.

Secondary literature

• Aubrey Gwynn and R. Neville Hadcock, Medieval Religious Houses Ireland 1970, Longman, London. ISBN 0582-11229-X .
• Aubrey Gwynn, The Irish Church in the Eleventh and Twelfth Centuries 1992. ISBN 1-85182-095-7