Baithéne mac Brénaind

Who was Baithéne mac Brénaind?

Baithéne mac Brénaind was an Irish monk, specially selected by St. Columba as one of the band of missionaries who set sail for what is now Scotland in 563.

Born in 536, the son of Brenan, he was an ardent disciple of St. Columba, and was appointed Abbot of Tiree, a monastery founded by St. Comgall of Bangor. St. Adamnan, in recording the death of St. Columba, tells us that the dying words of the Apostle of Iona, as he was transcribing Psalm 53, were: "I must stop here, let Baithéne write what follows". Baithéne had been looked on as the most likely successor of St. Columba, and so it happened that on the death of that great apostle, in 596, the monks unanimously confirmed the choice of their founder. Baithéne was in high esteem as a wise counsellor, and his advice was sought by many Irish saints, including Saint Fintan Munnu of Taghmon.

Abbey St Bathans in Berwickshire may be named after him.