Saint Ailill the Second (also called Ailill the Younger, Ailill II, Ailiell, Ailild, Ailid, Alild, Ailillus, Alellus, Alildus, Oilill, Oileal, Oileald, Olildus, Olild, Elias, Eulalius, Helias) b. c.480 - d. 1 July 536, was the

Bishop of Armagh A bishop is an ordained clergy member who is entrusted with a position of authority and oversight in a religious institution. In Christianity, bishops are normally responsible for the governance of dioceses. The role or office of bishop is ca ...

Ireland Ireland ( ; ga, Éire ; Ulster Scots dialect, Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic Ocean, in Northwestern Europe, north-western Europe. It is separated from Great Britain to its east by the North Channel (Grea ...

from 526 to 536.

Genealogy and birth

St. Ailill was a member of the Úi Bressail, a clan from the south side of

Lough Neagh Lough Neagh ( ) is a freshwater lake in Northern Ireland and is the largest lake in the island of Ireland, the United Kingdom and the British Isles. It has a surface area of and supplies 40% of Northern Ireland's water. Its main inflows come ...

. He was born in Drum Cád in the

Barony Barony may refer to: * Barony, the peerage, office of, or territory held by a baron * Barony, the title and land held in fealty by a feudal baron * Barony (county division), a type of administrative or geographical division in parts of the British ...

Oneilland East Oneilland East (, the name of an ancient Gaelic district) is a barony in the north-east of County Armagh, Northern Ireland. It is also called Clanbrasil (from ''Clann Bhreasail'', "offspring of Breasal"). It lies in the north-east corner of the ...

County Armagh County Armagh (, named after its county town, Armagh) is one of the six counties of Northern Ireland and one of the traditional thirty-two counties of Ireland. Adjoined to the southern shore of Lough Neagh, the county covers an area of and ha ...

.The Ancient List of the Coarbs of Patrick, by Rev. H. J. Lawlor and R. I. Best in PRIA, Vol. XXXV (1919), p. 319, No. 10.

Bishop of Armagh

On the death of his kinsman Saint

Ailill the First Saint Ailill the First (also called Ailill the Elder, Ailill I, Ailiell, Ailild, Ailid, Alild, Ailillus, Alellus, Alildus, Oilill, Oileal, Oileald, Olildus, Olild, Elias, Eulalius, Helias) born c. 460 – died 13 January 526, was the Bishop of ...

, the Bishop of Armagh, on 13 January 526, St. Ailill was appointed as the 8th Bishop in succession to

Saint Patrick Saint Patrick ( la, Patricius; ga, Pádraig ; cy, Padrig) was a fifth-century Romano-British Christian missionary and bishop in Ireland. Known as the "Apostle of Ireland", he is the primary patron saint of Ireland, the other patron saints be ...

. Saint Ailill reigned as Bishop for 10 years.

Death

St. Ailill died on 1 July 536. The Annals of Ireland give the following obits- * Annals of Tigernach 534- "''Ailill abbot of Armadh died''" * Chronicum Scotorum 534- "''Ailill, Abbot of Ardmacha, quievit''" * Annals of the Four Masters 535- "''Oilill, Bishop of Armagh, died. He was also of the Ui-Breasail''" * Annals of Ulster 536- "''Ailill, bishop of Ard Macha, died. He of the Uí Breasail still''" * Annals of Clonmacnoise 536- "''Aillill, abbott of Ardmach, dyed''" * Annals from the Book of Leinster- "''Ailill the second, abbot of Armagh''"

Feast day

After his death St. Ailill was venerated as a saint and his feast was celebrated on 1 July, the day of his death. The Calendars of the Saints have the following entries- * Martyrology of Gorman 1 July- "''Ailill, bishop of Armagh. to the troop without a second death, without regrowth of pain.''" * Martyrology of Tallaght 1 July- "''Ailella Esp. Cluana Emain''" * Martyrology of Donegal 1 July- "''Ailill, Bishop, of Ard-Macha, A.D. 535''" * Bollandists Acta Sanctorum, Tomus I, Julii I. Among the pretermitted feasts, p. 2- "''Alellus or Alildus II., Bishop of Armagh''"

References

{{Authority control 480s births 536 deaths Bishops of Armagh 6th-century Irish bishops