Tuesday 20 March 2012

Fiona's trip to Kildare

Fiona writes about her recent trip to Kildare to walk in St Brigid's footsteps....

Hey  guys!
Last week on  the 1st of February it was St.Bridgid's day! This is a very special holiday in Ireland especially in Kildare because here in Kildare was she lived and set up her convent.
We went on a trip to Kildare town to visit the historical sites related to St.Brigid. We went inside her cathedral which was very interesting as we saw lots Brigid crosses hanging up on the walls and on a Concrete statue of Bishop Wesley there was a fertility mark. It is believed that if you touch it you will become very fertile!

Next on our trip we went to St.Brigid's kitchen with was a small passage underground which apparently  years ago had hundreds of tunnels leading around kildare so if there was an attack on the cathedral  people could escape. (unfortunately it wasn't a real kitchen like i taught it was).

After that we went to the round tower at the back of the church. It was very interesting to know that it was the  tallest round tower in Ireland until its cone roof fell off which lead to it being the second largest in Ireland today.

After we finished our lunch we went walking (a very long walk) and  we visited St.Bridgids Well. We prayed around the well and took jars of her holy water. I found this experience very relaxing and it took a load off my shoulders as beside the well there was a tree where people could tie something small like a ribbon to the branches. I tied a woolen tread from my hat around one of the highest branches I could find to remember my nanas and grandads that are in heaven looking down on us, and my baby cousin Trease. I now feel happier that St.Bridgid is with them.

So that was the end of the trip and we went home happy and tired from our trip. I loved learning more about St.Bridgid and it made me more proud to be from Kildare. I also found out that she is popular not only in Ireland but that she is infact the patron saint of the Brigidine schools in Australia. It is so cool because we are working on projects to put up on our blog so that the school in Australia can learn from our experiences here in Kildare too :D

Model of the original Town
St. Brigid's cathedral 
Me getting to ring the bells in the cathedral 
The Famous round tower... Its HUGE
St.Brigid's Flame
St.Brigid's Kitchen
St.Brigid's Statue and holy stream
The first of St.Brigid's wells 
The woman herself St.Brigid 
St.Brigid's well
Tree beside St.Brigid's well, where we could tie strings praying for our loved ones alive and passed

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