Áed Dub mac Colmáin or Áed(h) of Kildare is a former King of Leinster, and an Irish

saint In Christianity, Christian belief, a saint is a person who is recognized as having an exceptional degree of sanctification in Christianity, holiness, imitation of God, likeness, or closeness to God in Christianity, God. However, the use of the ...

, commemorated by Colgan under date of 4 January; but much obscurity attaches to his life-work.

History

The ''

Annals of the Four Masters The ''Annals of the Kingdom of Ireland'' () or the ''Annals of the Four Masters'' () are chronicles of Middle Ages, medieval Irish history. The entries span from the Genesis flood narrative, Deluge, dated as 2,242 Anno Mundi, years after crea ...

'' and the ''

Annals of Ulster The ''Annals of Ulster'' () are annals of History of Ireland, medieval Ireland. The entries span the years from 431 AD to 1540 AD. The entries up to 1489 AD were compiled in the late 15th century by the scribe Ruaidhrí Ó Luin� ...

'' agree in the account of this monarch, who resigned his crown and eventually became Bishop of Kildare. He belonged to the ruling

Uí Dúnlainge The Uí Dúnlainge, from the Old Irish "grandsons (or descendants) of Dúnlaing", were an Irish dynasty of Leinster kings who traced their descent from Dúnlaing mac Énda Niada, a fifth-century King of Leinster. He was said to be a cousin of ...

dynasty of north Leinster; his father was Colmán Már.McGettigan, Darren and Mac Shamhráin, Ailbhe. "Áed Dub", ''Dictionary of Irish Biography'', October 2009
/ref> Áed was the brother of King Fáelán mac Colmáin.Byrne, Francis John. ''Irish Kings and High-Kings'', Dublin: Four Courts Press, 2001 Under the name of Aidus, a Latinized form of Áed, his name is to be found in several martyrologies. The year of his death was 639, according to the corrected chronology of the "Annals of Ulster."Grattan-Flood, William. "Aedh of Kildare." The Catholic Encyclopedia
Vol. 1. New York: Robert Appleton Company, 1907 Colgan tells us that he resigned the throne of Leinster in 591 (really, 592), and entered the great monastery of Kildare, where he served

God In monotheistic belief systems, God is usually viewed as the supreme being, creator, and principal object of faith. In polytheistic belief systems, a god is "a spirit or being believed to have created, or for controlling some part of the un ...

for forty-eight years, becoming successively abbot of Kildare and bishop of Kildare. His episcopate was from about 630 to 639. He should not be confounded with Áed Finn, king of Ossory, known as "Áed the cleric," who was a contemporary and resigned the throne of Ossory for a monastic cell. St. Áed of Leinster is styled Áed Dub, from his dark features, whilst Áed of Ossory was fair, hence the affix finn (fionn = fair). Another St. Áed is venerated on 3 May.

References

639 deaths People from County Kildare 7th-century Christian saints Medieval saints of Leinster 6th-century Irish monarchs 7th-century Irish abbots 7th-century Irish bishops Year of birth unknown Bishops of Kildare {{ireland-bio-stub