Áed Dub mac Suibni (died c. 588) was an Irish king of the

Dál nAraidi Dál nAraidi (; "Araide's part") or Dál Araide, sometimes List of Latinised names, latinised as Dalaradia or Anglicisation, anglicised as Dalaray,Boyd, Hugh AlexanderIrish Dalriada ''The Glynns: Journal of The Glens of Antrim Historical Societ ...

in the over-kingdom of

Ulaid (Old Irish, ) or (Irish language, Modern Irish, ) was a Gaelic Ireland, Gaelic Provinces of Ireland, over-kingdom in north-eastern Ireland during the Middle Ages made up of a confederation of dynastic groups. Alternative names include , which ...

(in modern

Ulster Ulster (; or ; or ''Ulster'') is one of the four traditional or historic provinces of Ireland, Irish provinces. It is made up of nine Counties of Ireland, counties: six of these constitute Northern Ireland (a part of the United Kingdom); t ...

). He may have been king of the Ulaid. Áed was succeeded by his great-nephew Fiachnae mac Báetáin. Áed Dub — Black Áed — killed the last

High King of Ireland High King of Ireland ( ) was a royal title in Gaelic Ireland held by those who had, or who are claimed to have had, lordship over all of Ireland. The title was held by historical kings and was later sometimes assigned anachronously or to leg ...

to undergo the pre-Christian inauguration ritual, Diarmait mac Cerbaill. Tradition has Diarmaid die a mythic threefold death, and some version make Áed Diarmaid's foster-son. The Annals of Tigernach report, more prosaically, that Diarmaid was killed by Áed Dub in 565 at Ráith Bec, on the plain of Mag Line (Moylinny, near Larne), in the lands of the Dál nAraidi.

Adomnán's account

In Book I, Chapter 36 of Adomnán of Iona's ''Life of Saint

Columba Columba () or Colmcille (7 December 521 – 9 June 597 AD) was an Irish abbot and missionary evangelist credited with spreading Christianity in what is today Scotland at the start of the Hiberno-Scottish mission. He founded the important abbey ...

'', it states that Áed Dub was later ordained as a priest, an ordination that Adomnán describes as a sham because of his history of violence. He writes that when Columba learned of this, he prophesied that although Áed would live for many years to come, he "will return as a dog to his vomit; he will again be a bloody murderer and in the end, killed by a spear, he will fall from wood into water and die drowning." This is again the mythic three-fold death, and probably signifies that there was some manner of traditional account of Áed Dub. In the same chapter Adomnan also states that Áed was ordained to the priesthood by a bishop who was reluctant to do so. He only agreed to lay his hand on Áed's head to ordain him after a priest called Findchán had done so first. Adomnán says that this priest, Findchán loved Áed Dub in a worldly or corrupt way - ''carnaliter amans''. This does not mean that they were lovers. ''Carnalis'' means 'worldly', as opposed to 'spiritual'. From Adomnán's account it can be surmised that Áed was deposed, or abdicated, and spent time in

Britain Britain most often refers to: * Great Britain, a large island comprising the countries of England, Scotland and Wales * The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, a sovereign state in Europe comprising Great Britain and the north-eas ...

in a

monastery A monastery is a building or complex of buildings comprising the domestic quarters and workplaces of Monasticism, monastics, monks or nuns, whether living in Cenobitic monasticism, communities or alone (hermits). A monastery generally includes a ...

before, presumably, returning to Ulster to try to regain his throne. The report of Áed Dub's death in 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� ...

for 588 — the Annals of Tigernach place it in 579 — may contain some traces of this as it reports the killing of Áed aboard a ship. This is thought to have taken place on

Lough Neagh Lough Neagh ( ; ) is a freshwater lake in Northern Ireland and is the largest lake on the island of Ireland and in the British Isles. It has a surface area of and is about long and wide. According to Northern Ireland Water, it supplies 4 ...

References

Bibliography

* Adomnán of Iona, ''Life of Saint

'', tr. & ed. Richard Sharpe. Penguin, London, 1995. * Byrne, Francis John, ''Irish Kings and High-Kings.'' Batsford, London, 1973. {{DEFAULTSORT:Aed Dub mac Suibni Kings of Ulster Kings of Dál nAraidi 6th-century births 580s deaths People from County Antrim 6th-century Irish monarchs

Adomnán's account

See also

References

Bibliography