Gerald of Mayo

Though Colmán was an ardent supporter of the Irish traditions, he decided after the synod to go along with the Alexandrian computus, which by that time had become essentially universal in 9th century western christianity.Gerald was among thirty Northumbrian monks who left Lindisfarne with Colmán and eventually settled in 668 on Inishbofin [island of the white cow] in what is now Galway, 8 km off the coast of Connemara in Connacht.

Vera Orschel[4] indicates that the community might have had a mainland base for cattle, from which transhumance could have enticed drovers among the Irish monks to have absconded in the summer months.

In contrast, the Northumbrians would have had to content themselves with abiding by the rule of St Basil of Caesarea that agriculture was the best kind of work for monks, in that it kept them from wandering.

Thus arose, in 670, the "Mayo of the Saxons"[5] (Magh Eo, the yew plain), 74 km away from Inishbofin, with Gerald as the first abbot.

[7] To judge merely from the size of its enclosure (traces still discernable at Mayo Abbey of diameter 400 metres), the monastery at some time in its early history must have been comparable in influence and relevance with sites like Armagh, Kildare, Glendalough, and Clonmacnoise.

Although quite young, Gerald proved a wise pastor, and remained abbott at Mayo until 697, when, it is said, he resigned in favour of Adamnan.

Though there has been mention of Gerald's having had a sister.,[11][12] and a brother (supposedly Balin, also a disciple of Colmán, and residing in Connaught),[13] the historic reliability of these accounts has been questioned.

Mayo's rapid fame and enduring tradition as a beacon of sanctity and learning to much of Ireland owes a lot to that first abbott, Gerald.

[11] Various churches and schools honour this saint, e.g. in North York, Ontario; Oak Lawn, Illinois; Farmington, Michigan; and in Ralston, New England.