Áed Abrat (‘of the eyelid’) (d. 577), son of Eochu Tírmchárna and overking of Connacht, features as an ancestor of the Uí Briúin Aí dynasty of Co. Roscommon from which the later Ua Conchobair kings of Connacht claimed descent. His pedigree, however, is dubious, with elements apparently borrowed from the dynasty of Uí Fhiachrach; indeed, it is plausible that Áed and his father belonged to that dynasty and not to Uí Briúin. In that event, suggestions that he was promoted as a mesne-king by Diarmait (qv) son of Cerball, king of Tara, against Uí Fhiachrach become redundant. No wife is recorded for Áed, but he had at least two sons, Uatu and Curnán. There is also some confusion regarding the beginning of his reign, and the claim of the regnal list that he was king for twenty-two years is difficult to reconcile with the sparse annal record of this early period. It seems that Áed came to prominence some time after 550, when the Uí Néill killed Ailill Inbanda, overking of Connacht, at the battle of Cúl Conaire. Little is known of his career before the end of that decade, but according to later accounts Diarmait son of Cerball slew Áed's son Curnán, prompting him to seek vengeance.
In 561 Áed allied himself with the Cenél Conaill dynasts Ainmere (qv) son of Sétnae and Ninnid son of Duí. At the instigation of Colum Cille (qv), as is claimed, they defeated the king of Tara at the battle of Cúl Dreimne (near Drumcliff, Co. Sligo). In view of this victory, and given that at least one earlier member of Uí Fhiachrach, Ailill Molt (qv), reigned as king of Tara, it is possible that Áed might be identified with Áed Allán of the Old Irish regnal poem ‘Baile Chuinn’, even though he does not carry this epithet in surviving sources. Áed Abrat also features in hagiographical tradition: the Annals of Inisfallen relate that he granted Enach Dúin (Annaghdown, Co. Galway) to St Brendan (qv) of Clonfert. A magus (druid) in his service engaged in conflict with St Berach (qv) of Cluain Coirpthe (Termonbarry, Co. Roscommon), according to the Irish Life of the latter. Ultimately, Áed was slain in 577 in an encounter at Bágh (probably Ballaghabawbeg/Ballaghabawmore, parishes of Baslick/Ogulla, Co. Roscomman). It is claimed in the Annals of Ulster that his opponents were Uí Briúin, which may be significant. His son Uatu (d. 601/2) succeeded him in the kingship.