St Bridget's Cross

St Bridget's Cross

Irish Memorial Stones' bronze St Bridget Cross is unique in that each cross is cast from an individual cross woven in the traditional way from reeds. No two are the same.

St. Brigid was born in AD 450 in Faughart, near Dundalk in Co. Louth. Her father, Dubhthach, was a pagan chieftain of Leinster and her mother, Broicsech, was a Christian. She lived during the time of St.Patrick and was inspired by his preachings, converting to Christianity. Legend says that she prayed that her beauty would be taken away from her so no one would seek her hand in marriage thus enabling her to complete devotion to the spread of the Christian message.

Shen entered convent life receiving her veil from St Macaille. Thereafter Brigid founded many convents all over Ireland; the most famous one was in Co. Kildare. It is said that this convent was built beside an oak tree where the town of Kildare now stands. Around 470 she also founded a double monastery, for nuns and monks, in Kildare. As Abbess of this foundation she wielded considerable power, but was a very wise and prudent superior. The Abbey of Kildare became one of the most prestigious monasteries in Ireland, and was famous throughout Christian Europe.

St. Brigid also founded a school of art, including metal work and illumination, over which St. Conleth presided. In the scriptorium of the monastery, the famous illuminated manuscript the Book of Kildare was created.

The cross for which her name is synonymous is reputedly to have come form an encounter with a dying, pagan Cheiftain. At his deathbed she fashioned the cross from reeds spread on the floor; so moved was the Cheiftain by this that he converted to Christianity.

 St. Brigid died in AD 525 at the age of 75 and was buried in a tomb before the High Altar of her Abbey church. After some time, her remains were exhumed and transferred to Downpatrick to rest with the two other patron saints of Ireland, St. Patrick and St. Columcille. Her skull was extracted and brought to Lisbon, Portugal by two Irish noblemen, and it remains there to this day St. Brigid is the female patron saint of Ireland. She is also known as Muire na nGael or Mary of the Gael which means Our Lady of the Irish. Her feast day is the 1st of February which is the first day of Spring in Ireland.