St. Brigid from Faughart
Above: Piece from Book of Leinster
Brigid, one of the three great patron Saints of Ireland, was born at Faughart, about two miles northeast of Dundalk. Her father was Dubhthach, tenth in descent from King Feidlimidh Reachtmhar the Lawgiver, and her mother a bondwoman, by name Brocesa, who had been sold to a druid and borne away to Louth. The child was baptised by consent of the druid. Being, as she grew to womanhood, dowered with singular grace and beauty, many suitors sought her hand in marriage. Returning to her father’s house about this time, the jealousy of her stepmother was aroused, and the father callously proposed to sell her to the king of North Leinster. With seven other virgins, however, she soon received the veil at the hands of Bishop MacCaille. The hill of Uisneach in Westmeath disputes with Cruachan in King’s County the honour of being the place where Brigid was veiled, and Bishop Mel of Ardachadh is mentioned in connection with her vows. In due time, under the shadow °f an oak at Kildare, she built an oratory which rapidly developed into a double monastery for men and women. As it grew, she asked St. Conlaech to assist her in governing ". and St. Nadfraoch to instruct herself and her nuns. ecclesiastics visited her from all quarters, and she, in turn, niade long journeys through the south and west of Ireland, n elsewhere. The districts she visited, and churches everywhere were placed under her protection.
St. Cuimin refers to her as ficaf °^ ^c biessmKs> iond beyond all women of morti-n ?,n’ vigils, early rising to pray, hospitality to saintly is m 1 ^er own wol"ds : "a morsel of fair barley bread Uon t -re °^ ^le ^ble, a cress stalk and hot water my por-Wght." Cogitosus, who wrote her life at the request of the community, calls her the abbess whom all the abbess! of Ireland hold in veneration. One could not count tl crowds coming to Kildare, he said ; some for food or feastinl some to be healed, some with gifts for the shrine, some enjoy the wonderful spectacle. The Book of Leinster say " there was not in the world one of more bashfulness and modesty than this holy virgin. She never washed her hand! feet or head before men, never looked a man in the fall never spoke without blushing. She was abstinent, blemished, and fond of prayer, patient, rejoicing in God’s commands, benevolent, humble, forgiving, and charitable. She was a consecrated shrine for the preservation of the body of Christ; a temple of God. Her heart and mind was the throne of the Holy Spirit. She was meek before God, disl tressed with the miserable, bright in miracles. And herifl in things created her type is the Dove among birds, tfl Vine amongst trees, the Sun above the stars." It is thouflj she had the privilege of weaving the winding sheet in whicl the body of St. Patrick was laid. On the other hand NinnidflJ who gave her the Viaticum at her death about 525 had flj right arm encased in metal so that the hand which gafl her the Communion might never be defiled. During tfl Danish ravages her remains were translated from Kildail to Downpatrick.
