St Brigid
Muire na nGael

First Woman of Ireland

St Brigid was born in a quiet village named "Faughart" set upon a hill over looking Dundalk Bay. She was born about the year 454 A.D. She spent most of her childhood in Faughart attending to a Dairy farm. It was to be an important event in her life.

Within a very few years of her death she was venerated as patron of Faughart and it's surrounding areas. It appears that this district was the first in the Country in which she became the chosen patron, and it was from that time forward that the place was called "Faughart of St. Brigid".

Dubhthach, her father, was an Irish chieftain and commanded the fort on the top of the hill which controlled the gap of the North about half a mile to the North. Her mother was a bondswoman (slave) named Brocca. As a child, Brigid, demonstrated a strong will, but also a charitable nature. Although her calling to help the poor often got her into trouble. One story occurred when she was only 9 years old. The King of Leinster gave her father a precious beautiful jeweled sword as a gift. Brigid took the jewels from the sword to provide food for a family in need. (Sometimes it is said that she gave the sword to a leper). The King was livid. But Brigid did not backdown, proclaiming to the king that she would take all of his riches and her father's as well and distribute them to the poor, if it was her decision. There are numerous legendary stories of St. Brigid. According to these stories, she had healing powers. Some say that by simply stepping into her shadow you would be instantly healed.

Healing powers were also attributed to her cloak (or mantle). All one needed to do was to touch her cloak to be healed. It was even said that she was seen hanging her cloak to dry on a ray of sunshine.

Bridget is also known as the Mary of the Gael, Bride, and the mother of the Irish race. She was a strong willed, compassionate woman.

There are many versions of the stories and legends about St. Brigid. Her name also has many spelling variations including Briget, Bridget, Brighid, Brigit, Brigid, and Bride.

Stories about St Brigid’s life as a Catholic nun also depict her as being a most unusual person. It is believed by many that she may have been ordained as a bishop. Another story involves the sisters at the nunnery she established. Brigid was known as the Symbol of Eternal Light. The nuns celebrated as guardians of the “Fire of St. Brigid” by starting and sustaining a perpetual fire. Nineteen nuns each took a turn tending the fire and on the 20th day, St. Brigid tended it herself. After her death, the nineteen nuns continued this tradition and on the 20th day the fire was left for her to sustain. According to legend, the fire burned continuously, and although, this required a great deal of wood, the ashes never increased.

Adding to the many stories and the legends are also the quite remarkable historically accepted achievements of St. Brigid. She founded 4 monasteries and ruled over thirty religious houses. She is most noted for having established a double monastery in Kildare with Bishop Conlaeth. She started a nunnery there. A foundation to house both a monastery and a nunnery was a unique achievement and so was the fact that she was the first Abbess of a nunnery in Ireland. She and Bishop Conlaeth ruled the Kildare monastery as equals. This was a powerful position for a religious woman of this time. She also founded a school of art at Kildare, which became famous for its illuminated manuscripts.

It is believed that she died at Kildare on February 1 in the year 525 and was buried at Downpatrick with St. Columba and St. Patrick.

We Sisters of St. Brigid as part of "St. Brigid's Cloak" continue to tend the eternal spiritual fire of St. Brigid and surround the world with the healing powers of her cloak through sacred prayer and acts of charity.