St. Brighid’s Cathedral
St. Brighid’s Cathedral
* Kildare, Ireland * Open May-September, Mon-Sat 10 am – 1 pm; 2 pm – 5 pm; Sundays from 2-5 pm. Cathedral closes October thru April.
In the heart of Kildare lies St. Brigid’s Cathedral. This is the place in 480 C.E. that St. Brigid renamed as “Cill Dara” (modern Kildare) which means the “Cell or Church of the Oak” and built her Abbey on the hill beside a great Sacred Oak Tree. The present day stone Norman Cathedral is a restored 13th century version rebuilt numerous times after many fires, desecrations, and ruins of the originals that existed as early as 500 C.E. The Cathedral is likely built atop the Original Pagan Shrine to the Goddess Brigid and the later early Christian foundation and Church of St. Brigid. Brigid was the Goddess of Poetry, Magic, Muse, Inspiration, Healing, Smithcraft, and the Harvest. As a Saint she is the provider of plenty, giver of life, nurturer, fertility, and fire. The current structure seen in these photos was built in 1223 by the Norman Bishop Ralph of Bristol in an early Gothic style with a square central tower. Because of the history of invasions and plunders, especially by the Vikings, the current Cathedral was built for defense as well as worship. The Cathedral continues to serve the townspeople of Kildare as well as Brigid devotees from around the world and has for centuries. After the Reformation the Cathedral fell in disrepair and in complete ruins after the Confederate Wars by 1649. It was rebuilt in 1686 and restored to its present form from 1875-1896. In the 19th century it was rebuilt and restored back to its illuminated origins. Additional major restorations took place in 1996. The interior of the Cathedral has numerous stone carvings ranging from Pagan and early Christian to Norman period or later. It also houses numerous artifacts ranging from a 16th century vault, religious seals, a medieval water font, and shrines. It is here that the Nunnery originally founded by St. Brigid in the 5th century once stood as well as her original wooden Church. The churchyard has a graveyard, Celtic Cross, St. Brigid’s Fire Altar and Firehouse, Vaults, and a 105 ft high Round Tower (one of the last to be erected in Ireland). The Cathedral contains numerous medieval tombs, the most famous of which is one of the Fitzgeralds of Lackagh ( 1575 ). It is here that the Priestesses or Sisters of Brigid kept the flame eternally lit. This required 19 Sisters or Priestesses that kept vigil and made sure the flame never went out. Now Christianized, the Sisters / Nuns tend to her flame and continue the work the ancients once started. It was extinguished between the Reformation and its re-establishment in 1807. In 1993 the Perpetual flame was re-kindled in Kildare’s Market Square by Sister Mary Teresa Cullen.
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 St. Brighid’s Kitchen
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St. Brigid’s Kitchen: Is a restored 14th century underground vault which is the reputed starting point of a secret escape tunnel that was lost for centuries.
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 Fire Temple
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St. Brigid’s Fire Temple:
Residing on the north side of the Cathedral are the restored foundations of the purported Ancient Fire Temple where the sacred flame of Brigid was kept lit by the 19 Priestesses (Nuns and/or Sisters). Today, only a small fire is lit here for ritual on St. Brigid’s feastday on February 1st. The flame is symbollically relit in 1993 and is now kept lit in a Solas Bhride House. Originally this Fire Temple was surrounded by a ring of twigs that no man was allowed to enter. The flame was extinguished in the 16th century and rekindled in the 1800’s until present.
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 Tower
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Round Tower
This defensive tower was built in the 6th century to protect the Abbey and Church. It was assaulted numerous times and fell into ruins. It was rebuilt in the 12th century. It is made of sandstone (top portion of tower) and granite (bottom 3 meters), rises to a height of 108 feet and is the second highest in Ireland and the last to be built. It is considered to be one of Ireland’s finest surviving examples of a Round Tower. Visitors can climb up the internal ladders to gain access to the roof with stunning views of Kildare accessible. The Tower has a four -ordered Romanesque decorated doorway, a bell floor with 5 unusual windows, and the roof opens flat with a high parapet of stepped Irish battlements.
Tower
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