Quick Facts
- Gaelic:
- Caemgen
- Latin:
- Coemgenus
- Died:
- June 3, 618, Glendalough, County Wicklow, Ire.
Adding us as a Preferred Source tells Google you trust our content, so our articles show up more often in your Google Search, Discover feed, and AI Overviews.
verifiedCite
While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies.
Please refer to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have any questions.
Select Citation Style
Kevin, Saint
The chapel of St. Kevin (also called St. Kevin's Kitchen), Vale of Glendalough, County Wicklow, Ire.
Saint Kevin
patron of Dublin
Also known as: Caemgen, Coemgenus
Saint Kevin (born, near Dublin—died June 3, 618, Glendalough, County Wicklow, Ire.; feast day June 3) was one of the patron saints of Dublin and the founder of the monastery of Glendalough.
The earliest life (10th/11th century?) states that Kevin was born into the royal line of the ancient Irish kingdom of Leinster and chose as a young man to become a hermit in Glendalough, where he later founded the monastery. With Kevin as abbot, it became one of Ireland’s leading monastic centres. The several lives of Kevin are largely legendary; they often represent him as a protector of animals.
This article was most recently revised and updated by Encyclopaedia Britannica.
By clicking “Sign Up”, you consent to the Britannica
Privacy Policy
and
Terms of Use.