Thursday 9 February 2012

Our Pilgrimage to Kildare & St. Brigid!

     The 1st of February was St. Brigids Day.The religion teachers thought it would be a good idea to bring us on a pilgrimage to Kildare town because St Brigid is associated with Kildare. It is said that she spread her cloak over the Curragh of Kildare and claimed that land.
    
     When we arrived we went to the tourist information office where we watched a short film on the history of St Brigid and how she is associated with Kildare. Afterwards, we went to the Church of Ireland and looked around the church. Behind it was a round tower- the second tallest in Ireland and the 'Fire Temple' which is where bonfires were set in the time of Brigid to tell people to come to the church.
    
     We went to St Brigids church after this but it was closed so we could'nt see the inside of it. We had lunch soon after and went to Kildare Village shopping outlet.  We then walked a good distance to get to the first well of our journey. It was semi-circular and we all walked across the stepping stones and blessed ourselved with the Holy water from the well. It was also the oldest of the two wells.
    
     The next well was about a ten minute walk away. It had a statue of St Brigid and there was a stream with candles that people had placed around it. Some of us walked around the well and said the Rosary. We had time to reflect and then left the well after that. We walked back to Kildare village and got the bus home!

              
                                    http://goireland.about.com/od/countykildare/ig/Kildare-Image-Gallery/Saint-Brigid-s-Well.htm


Saint Brigid's Well near Kildare