Áed Dub mac Colmáin or Áed(h) of Kildare is a former

King of Leinster The kings of Leinster ( ga, Rí Laighín), ruled from the establishment of Leinster during the Irish Iron Age, until the 17th century Early Modern Ireland. According to Gaelic traditional history, laid out in works such as the ''Book of Invasio ...

, and an Irish saint, commemorated by Colgan under date of 4 January; but much obscurity attaches to his life-work. The ''

Annals of the Four Masters The ''Annals of the Kingdom of Ireland'' ( ga, Annála Ríoghachta Éireann) or the ''Annals of the Four Masters'' (''Annála na gCeithre Máistrí'') are chronicles of medieval In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or mediev ...

'' and the ''

Annals of Ulster The ''Annals of Ulster'' ( ga, Annála Uladh) are annals of 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 Luinín ...

'' agree in the account of this monarch, who resigned his crown and eventually became

Bishop of Kildare The Bishop of Kildare was an episcopal title which took its name after the town of Kildare in County Kildare, Ireland. The title is no longer in use by any of the main Christian churches having been united with other bishoprics. In the Roman Catho ...

. Under the name of Aidus, a Latinized form of Áed, his name is to be found in several

martyrologies A martyrology is a catalogue or list of martyrs and other saints and beati arranged in the calendar order of their anniversaries or feasts. Local martyrologies record exclusively the custom of a particular Church. Local lists were enriched by na ...

. The year of his death was 639, according to the corrected chronology of the "Annals of Ulster." 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 thought, God is usually viewed as the supreme being, creator, and principal object of faith. Swinburne, R.G. "God" in Honderich, Ted. (ed)''The Oxford Companion to Philosophy'', Oxford University Press, 1995. God is typically ...

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