Relics of Ireland’s Only Matron Saint Returning to Co Kildare After Almost 1,000 Years

Relics of Ireland’s only matron saint, St Brigid, are making a historic return to her hometown in Co Kildare after almost 1,000 years. St Brigid, known as the mother saint of Ireland, is one of the country’s three national saints alongside St Patrick and St Columba.

It is believed that St Brigid passed away in 524 AD and was buried beside the main altar in her monastic church in Co Kildare. Her grave became a pilgrimage site for people from Ireland and Europe, and a shrine adorned with precious metals and stones was constructed in the eighth century.

During the Viking invasions in the year 800 AD, St Brigid’s body was moved to Downpatrick in Northern Ireland to protect it from potential attacks. However, over time, the location of her remains, along with those of St Patrick and St Columba, was lost and forgotten for several centuries.

In 1185, the Bishop of Down prayed for guidance to locate the sacred relics, and a beam of light revealed the spot where the bodies of the three saints were buried. The bodies were enshrined in 1186 and remained there for 400 years until the shrine was destroyed. St Brigid’s remains were then secretly transported to the continent, with a bone fragment believed to have been taken to Lumiar, Portugal in the 13th century.

Now, a portion of the relic from Lumiar will be returning to St Brigid’s Parish Church in Kildare Town to commemorate the 1500th anniversary of her passing. The relics will be brought back to Co Kildare on January 28, with a procession from Solas Bhride Centre to the church, followed by a special mass celebrated by Bishop Denis Nulty.

David Mongey, Chairman of Into Kildare, expressed the significance of bringing St Brigid’s relics back to her home county after so many years. The relics will be permanently displayed at St Brigid’s Parish Church for all to see. This historic event marks a special moment in Irish history, celebrating the legacy of St Brigid as a peacemaker and protector of nature.