Image source: Pinterest
Original Material Sources for this Saint can be taken from: The ”Acts of St. Ailbe” in the Codex Salmanticensis. The below material has been gleaned mainly from Catholicireland.net
St. Ailbe heralds from Munster. He is a pre-patrician saint, meaning he was evangelising in Ireland before St. Patrick’s mission begun. St. Ailbe is a patron saint of the diocese of Cashel and Emily and is the also patron of wolves. Ailbe is called Albeus in Latin and Elvis in English. St. Ailbe was the first bishop of Emily in the province of Munster and is considered the St. Patrick of Munster.
As a personal opinion, the St. Ailbe’s story somewhat parallels a Disney film called Jungle book, with it’s two main opposing characters of 1) Mowgli, the good ”man cub” reared by a wolf 2) and Shere Khan, a fearsome tiger want’s to destroy Mowgli to protect his own high standing from humanity. Likewise 1) Ailbe is the good ”man cub”, reared by a wolf 2). Cronan is father is the very man who want’s to destroy Ailbe to protect his own high standing in society.
Now Ailbe was born to a maidservant in the house of Cronan, Lord of Eliach, in County Tipperary. Cronan, disapproved of Ailbe’s birth and directed that the new born be abandoned and exposed to ‘dogs and wild beasts, that the child might be devoured’. But, by divine providence, the baby was found hidden under a rock (Ail) and alive (beo), by a she-wolf who then took him and reared him among her own cubs. Ailbe would later repay the kindness toward the end of his life when a she-wolf chased by hunters took refuge with him.
Ailbe in his youth, met and befriended St. Declan, and the two would become disciples of St. Palladius, who came to try to evangelise Ireland, before St. Patrick‘s mission. A work entitled, “The Life of Declan” recounts the great friendship of Declan and Ailbe. They later went to Rome for priestly formation. Some years later, while returning to Ireland from Rome, Declan met Patrick in the north of the eternal city, in a providential encounter, which would have a bearing on Ailbe’s life. “The Acts of St. Ailbe” represent Ailbe as preaching in Ireland before St. Patrick. Ailbe was noted for his charity and kindness, as well as his eloquent sermons. He was a missionary in Ireland under King Aengus of Cashel. It was this same king that St. Patrick converted. Ailbe was Abbot, bishop and preacher and became a disciple of St. Patrick, according to St. Patrick‘s biographer, Tirechan. It’s quite possible to be both a disciple of Palladius, and Patrick. After all, St. Andrew was a disciple of John the Baptist, before he became a disciple of Jesus. Again this is a personal opinion.
St. Ailbe’s monastery of Emily, known as Imleach Iubhair (the lakeside at a yew tree) went on to become one of the most important ecclesiastical sites in Munster and in later centuries Emily was re-established a Diocesan centre, after the synods of Rath Breasail and the Synod of Kells. The ecclesiastical monastic site was located at the modern Catholic church and graveyard at Emily.
St Ailbe’s holy well can be found in the north-eastern corner of the graveyard. In 1898 the well supplied the surrounding village. Local memory and historical sources say that in the past the pilgrimage rituals were focused on the holy well and an early medieval cross, known as St Ailbe’s Cross. The cross is located a short distance from the well. The cross was also said to cure back pain. When a person has a pain in his back he would get it cured by putting his back against the stone while praying to St Ailbe.
The repose of Ailbe of Imlech Ibuir is recorded as 528 by the Annals of Ulster (within the old monastic grounds). St. Ailbe feast day is celebrated in the Irish liturgical calendar on September 12th.
by 