Saint Ailbe

Also known as

• Ailbhe
• Albeus

Memorial

• 12 September

Profile

Disciple of Saint Patrick. Effective evangelist throughout Ireland with the support of King Aengus of Munster. Noted for his charity and his excellent preaching. Little else is known for sure, but many stories and much speculation have attached to Ailbhe. He may have been the first bishop of Emly, Ireland. He may have founded a monastery at Killeaney, Inishmore, Ireland. One old story stays that he was born to parents so poor that they were unable to feed him, and abandoned him in the deep woods; a she-wolf, running from hunters, settled beside the baby and suckled him as one of her cubs; the hunters found them, saved the baby and spared the wolf.

Born

• Irish

Died

• c.541 of natural causes

Canonized

• Pre-Congregation

Patronage

• Cashel and Emly, Ireland, archdiocese of
• Munster, Ireland

Additional Information

• Book of Saints, by the Monks of Ramsgate
• Catholic Online
• Dictionary of Saints, by John Delaney
• Katherine Rabenstein
• New Catholic Dictionary
• Our Sunday Visitor’s Encyclopedia of Saints, by Matthew Bunson, Margaret Bunson, and Stephen Bunson

MLA Citation

• “Saint Ailbe”. Saints.SQPN.com. 14 May 2012. Web. {today’s date}. <http://saints.sqpn.com/saint-ailbe/>