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Saint Brigid's Day - The Feast of Ireland's Foremost Female Saint
Saint Brigid's Day is celebrated on February 1st - the feast of Ireland's foremost female saint - coincides with the traditional beginning of spring and an ancient Celtic feast. And Brigid herself may not only have been a Christian saint ... but also a pagan goddess.
Saint Brigid of Kildare
Saint Brigid, or to be really correct Saint Brigid of Kildare, is the „Mary of the Gaels“. Living from 451 to 525, she was an Irish nun, abbess, founder of several convents, held the rank of bishop and generally venerated as a saint.
Celebrating Saint Brigid’s Day
Celebrating Saint Brigid’s Day was often focussed not only on the saint herself but also on cattle and dairy ... of which Brigid is the patron saint. Here is a list of traditional things to do on of before February 1st, Saint Brigid’s Day.
Saint Brigid's Oaten Bread - Irish Recipes to Try at Home
Saint Brigid ist traditionally honored by leaving a bread for her on the windowsill. An, on Saint Brigid's Day, the whole familiy will also share bread in honor of the saint.
Saint Brigid's Well (near Kildare Town, County Kildare)
Saint Brigid's Well is one of the lesser-known attractions connected to the Irish saints. Despite the modern make-over of the site one can still sense that the area has been "special" for ages.
Images from Kildare Town and its Environs
Kildare (in Irish cill dara) has been known for Saint Brigid a long time - the abbess and bishop was reputedly converted by Saint Patrick himself. Kildare today has become one of the commuting towns for Dublin, especially since the M7 was opened. Which also made getting to Kildare easy, leading to more tourism. The town is, by and large, still an original Irish market town.