Born: Unknown (500s), Ireland (assumed)
Died: Unknown (600s)
Country most active: Ireland
Also known as: Derbiled, Dervilla
This biography is republished from The Dictionary of Irish Biography and was written by Ailbhe Mac Shamhráin. Shared by permission in line with Creative Commons ‘Attribution’ (CC BY) licencing.
Darbiled (Derbiled, Dervilla) (fl. 575–600), anchoress and foundress of Inis Cethig on the Erris peninsula in Co. Mayo, and a saint in the Irish tradition, was – according to the metrical version of the genealogies of the saints – linked to the Connacht dynasty of Uí Fhiachrach. Her father is named as Cormac son of Brecc, and she is assigned a brother Triallach, who was also an ecclesiastic. A tract in the Book of Leinster names their mother as Cumman daughter of Dallbrónach, who is quite improbably claimed as the mother of some twenty saints including Darerca of Cell Shléibe Chuilinn (Killevy, Co. Armagh) and Senán of Inis Cathaig (Scattery Island, Co. Clare).
Historically, it appears that Darbiled was a contemporary of Colum Cille of Iona and is represented in later tradition as supportive of Columban interests. It may be inferred from the late Latin Life of St Forannán, essentially a medley of Columban traditions, that the catalogue of allegedly related saints which includes Darbiled is rather the attendance list at an assembly convened by Colum Cille at Es Dara (Ballysodare) in Cenél Cairpri following the synod of Druim Cett. If Darbiled indeed took part in such an assembly, it may be significant that the attendance included seven nuns from the territory of Uí Fhiachrach.
Darbiled presumably died around the end of the sixth or the beginning of the seventh century. She is recorded in the martyrologies at 3 August, which appears to mark her death, although she is also commemorated at 26 October. Her hermitage of Inis Cethig developed into an ecclesiastical settlement of local importance.