Relics of Saint Brigid Returned To Her Hometown in Ireland After a Millennium - January 2024
Mythology/Folklore/History
Sunday 14th, July 2024
In a historic moment for Ireland, the revered relics of St Brigid, the nation's only matron saint, were returned to her hometown in Co Kildare after nearly a millennium in January 2024. This significant event coincided with the 1500th anniversary of her death.
St Brigid, one of Ireland's three patron saints alongside St Patrick and St Columba, passed away in 524 AD and was interred beside the main altar in her monastic church in Co Kildare. Her grave soon became a pilgrimage site adorned with a shrine of gold, silver, and precious stones by the eighth century.
With the arrival of the Vikings around 800 AD, many churches were targeted, prompting the relocation of St Brigid's remains to Downpatrick in Northern Ireland. There, she was buried in an unmarked grave beside St Patrick and St Columba to protect their final resting place. Over time, the exact location of their graves was forgotten until being rediscovered in 1185, when the Bishop of Down prayed for divine guidance. A beam of light revealed the hidden graves, and the saints' remains were enshrined anew in 1186.
The shrine remained intact until the 16th century when it was destroyed by Lord Leonard Grey under orders from King Henry VIII. However, St Brigid’s relics were preserved and secretly transported to the continent. In the 13th century, three Irish knights took a fragment of her skull to Lumiar, a small town near Lisbon, Portugal. The relic remains venerated in the Church of St John the Baptist in Lumiar, where the knights lived out their days.
In the 1930s, the Brigidine Sisters in Tullow, Co Carlow, acquired a portion of this relic. This fragment was returned to St Brigid’s Parish Church in Kildare Town, with a grand procession marking the occasion. The procession started from Solas Bhride Centre in Tully outside Kildare Town at 10:30 am on Sunday, January 28th 2024, and led to St Brigid’s Parish Church.
Bishop Denis Nulty of Kildare and Leighlin received the relics and celebrated with a special Mass at 11:00 am on the day. David Mongey, Chairman of Into Kildare, expressed his enthusiasm for the event, saying, “The relics of St. Brigid have not been in Co Kildare for nearly 1,000 years. This year is the 1500th year of the passing of the saint and what could be more special than to bring St Brigid’s relics home, where she belongs?".
"She built her church in Kildare and her legacy as a peacemaker and a protector of nature is still as relevant today as ever. It has been a long process to finally bring her relics back to the county and together with my colleagues at Into Kildare we would like to thank Kildare County Council and the Brigidine Sisters for their great work in bringing Brigid home”.
The relics are permanently displayed in St Brigid’s Parish Church since January 28th 2024, marking a poignant return and offering a profound connection to Ireland’s spiritual heritage.
St Brigid, one of Ireland's three patron saints alongside St Patrick and St Columba, passed away in 524 AD and was interred beside the main altar in her monastic church in Co Kildare. Her grave soon became a pilgrimage site adorned with a shrine of gold, silver, and precious stones by the eighth century.
With the arrival of the Vikings around 800 AD, many churches were targeted, prompting the relocation of St Brigid's remains to Downpatrick in Northern Ireland. There, she was buried in an unmarked grave beside St Patrick and St Columba to protect their final resting place. Over time, the exact location of their graves was forgotten until being rediscovered in 1185, when the Bishop of Down prayed for divine guidance. A beam of light revealed the hidden graves, and the saints' remains were enshrined anew in 1186.
The shrine remained intact until the 16th century when it was destroyed by Lord Leonard Grey under orders from King Henry VIII. However, St Brigid’s relics were preserved and secretly transported to the continent. In the 13th century, three Irish knights took a fragment of her skull to Lumiar, a small town near Lisbon, Portugal. The relic remains venerated in the Church of St John the Baptist in Lumiar, where the knights lived out their days.
In the 1930s, the Brigidine Sisters in Tullow, Co Carlow, acquired a portion of this relic. This fragment was returned to St Brigid’s Parish Church in Kildare Town, with a grand procession marking the occasion. The procession started from Solas Bhride Centre in Tully outside Kildare Town at 10:30 am on Sunday, January 28th 2024, and led to St Brigid’s Parish Church.
Bishop Denis Nulty of Kildare and Leighlin received the relics and celebrated with a special Mass at 11:00 am on the day. David Mongey, Chairman of Into Kildare, expressed his enthusiasm for the event, saying, “The relics of St. Brigid have not been in Co Kildare for nearly 1,000 years. This year is the 1500th year of the passing of the saint and what could be more special than to bring St Brigid’s relics home, where she belongs?".
"She built her church in Kildare and her legacy as a peacemaker and a protector of nature is still as relevant today as ever. It has been a long process to finally bring her relics back to the county and together with my colleagues at Into Kildare we would like to thank Kildare County Council and the Brigidine Sisters for their great work in bringing Brigid home”.
The relics are permanently displayed in St Brigid’s Parish Church since January 28th 2024, marking a poignant return and offering a profound connection to Ireland’s spiritual heritage.
