Áed was born c. 558 at Inisbrefny (an island in Templeport Lake), in the area then known as
Magh Slécht, now the parish of
Templeport,
County Cavan. In the
Welsh genealogies of the saints, Aeddan is called the son of
Gildas or
Aneurin, sons of
Caw, king of
Strathclyde; Irish sources make him a son of Sedna, a chieftain of
Connaught and his wife Eithne and a first cousin of St.
Dallán Forgaill. Irish legend says that the "Bell of St. Mogue" was given to the infant on his birth by Saint
Caillín. When a boat could not be found to take the infant Aedan across the lake to where Caillín waited to baptize him, Aedan was floated to shore on a slab of stone. The
font at St Mogue's in
Bawnboy is said to be made from part of the stone. As a youth, Aedan was a
hostage of
Ainmuire mac Sétnai of the
Cenél Conaill,
High King of Ireland. Ainmire was so impressed with Aedan that he told him he could stay or go. Aedan said he would go, but only if the other hostages were also released, whereupon Ainmire let them all return home. He studied at the great school of Saint
Finnian at
Clonard Abbey. While at Clonard, Aedan made friends with
Molaise, who would later found the monastery of
Devenish Island on the
River Erne. By this point, many began to come to the young man desiring to become his disciples. Instead of indulging them, he fled from Ireland to
Wales to study under
St. David. Welsh legends place his upbringing with David and go into detail concerning attempts on his life by David's
steward. Aidan seems to have played a role in the
king of Leinster's defeat over the
Uí Néill High King Áed mac Ainmuirech of the
Cenél Conaill at the Battle of Dún Bolg in 598, either (according to the
hagiographers) through the intercession of his prayers However the Aidan, Bishop of Glendalough, referred to in the tale is unlikely to have been St. Máedóc as they had different mothers. Maedóc's mother was Eithne while Aidan's mother was Bríg, daughter of Chobtaig m.
Crimthann mac Énnai m.
Énnae Cennsalach of the
Uí Ceinnselaig dynasty from
Leinster. The grateful
King Brandubh then granted him
Ferns in
County Wexford, The influence of Brandubh also convened a
synod whereat Ferns was not merely constituted a see but its bishop Aedan was also given nominal supremacy over the other Leinster bishops as their Chief Bishop (). He was noted for his benevolence and hospitality: on one occasion, seeing them exhausted by their journey, he permitted beef to be given to a visiting delegation of British bishops during
Lent and permitted them to excuse themselves with the claim that the slaughtered cow was merely "milk and vegetables in condensed form" whereas the
whey and
biscuits the other monks consumed had so many
weevils as to occasion "conscientious scruples". Aeddan himself died on 31 January 632 on
Lough Melvin's shore in
County Leitrim. His
relics are claimed by
St. Edan's in Ferns. His stone tomb is inside the cathedral, although his remains are in the original cathedral crypt below. The
Breac Maodhóg (his
shrine) dates from the 9th century and is an example of an early medieval
reliquary. It was often used as a sacred object upon which to swear binding oaths. It was acquired by the
National Museum of Ireland in the 1890s. ==Miracles==