FRANCIS K. BEIRNE recalls the life of St. Brigid, the ‘Mother Saint of Ireland’, and the many stories relating to her.
One of three patrons of Ireland, Brigid (sometimes known as Brigit, Bridget, Bride, Bríd) was born in c.450 A.D. in Faughart, near Dundalk in Co. Louth. Her father, Dubhthach, was a pagan chieftain of Leinster and her mother, Broicsech, was a Christian. According to legend, she was born to a noble father and an enslaved mother and was sold along with her mother to a Druid, whom she later converted to Christianity.
It was thought that Brigid’s mother was born in Portugal but was kidnapped by Irish pirates and brought to Ireland to work as a slave. Brigid’s father named her after one of the most powerful goddesses of the pagan religion – the goddess of fire, whose manifestations were song, craftsmanship and poetry.
He kept Brigid and her mother as slaves even though he was a wealthy man. Brigid spent her earlier life cooking, cleaning, washing and feeding the animals on her father’s farm.
She lived during the time of St. Patrick and, inspired by his preachings, she became a Christian. When she reached the ago of eighteen, she stopped working for her father. His wish was to find her a husband but Brigid had decided that she would spend her life working for God, by looking after poor, sick and elderly people.
Legend says that she prayed that her beauty would be taken away from her so no one would seek her hand in marriage and her prayer was allegedly granted.
Brigid’s charity angered her father because he thought she was being too generous to the poor. When she finally gave away his jewel-encrusted sword to a leper, he realised that she would be best suited to the religious life.
She finally got her wish and entered the convent and later received her veil from St. Macaille and made her vows to dedicate her life to God.
Legend also says that Sister Brigid regained her beauty after making her vows and that God made her more beautiful than ever. News of Sr. Brigid’s good works spread and soon many young girls from all over the country joined her in the convent. She founded many convents all over Ireland, the most famous of which was in Kildare.
Continue reading in this week’s Ireland’s Own
