St Brigid’s Trail follows the footsteps of one of our best loved saints through the town of Kildare where walkers can explore this mythical route to discover the legacy of St Brigid.
Beginning at the Kildare Heritage Centre on Market Square, visitors can watch an audio-visual presentation on St Brigid and her connection to the town before continuing on to St Brigids Cathedral and St Brigids Church which was opened by Daniel OConnell in 1833.
A key stop on the trail is Solas Bhride Centre a purpose-built centre dedicated to the spiritual legacy of St Brigid. Here visitors can explore the history of St. Brigid and her work in Kildare. Solas Bhride hold a wonderful week long Feile Bhride (Festival of Brigid) celebration in Kildare town every year and this year the events will be held virtually.
The final spot on the tour is the ancient St Brigids Well on Tully Road, where visitors can enjoy a peaceful hour in the company of Kildares most famous water well.
For a map and more information, click here.
St Brigid founded a monastery for both men and women in Kildare in 470AD by pleading with the King of Leinster for some land. Granting St Brigid only the amount of land that the cloak on her back could cover, the legend tells it that a miracle stretched the cloak to cover the entire of the Kildare flat Curragh Plains. St Brigid’s Day traditionally marks the first day of Spring in the Northern hemisphere and has been celebrated by Christians all over the world for many centuries.
Irish missionaries and migrants carried her name and spirit across the world. Today, pilgrims and visitors come to Kildare from all over the world seeking to walk in Brigid’s footsteps.