My Cuppa Irish Tea: St. Brigid's Well

When we left the village of Kildare we went driving to find St. Brigid's Holy Well. We had the hardest time finding it even with the map AND asking for directions. There were signs for it and then they were gone. Eventually about 30 minutes later we found it!

The entrance to the Holy Well

Wells were considered holy by the pre-Christian Irish being that they sprung from the "underworld". That tradition of holiness still exists today. Water from the wells is believed to have special power for healing. Volunteers and benefactors have created a pretty setting around St. Brigid's Holy Well, which is also known as Tobar Bride. A bronze statue of St. Brigid lifting the eternal flame has been added in recent years. When entering there is a little shrine where people leave donations. The old pagan tradition encourages the pilgrim to leave an offering when taking water from the well.

The well is in the back by the stone cross

Pilgrims are encouraged to say prayers at each of the seven stations at Tobar Bride. Just past the small shrine is the spring marked by a stone arch. This is the first station. Water flows through the two oval shaped stone. Past the arch are the 5 standing stones or "stations" that represent a part of Brigid's nature.

First stone - Brigid the woman of Ireland, the patroness, the protector of a beloved country.

Second stone - Brigid the peacemaker, healing division, bringing forward unity.

Third stone - Brigid the friend of the poor, advocate of the marginalized, speaker for they that have no voice.

Fourth stone - Brigid the hearth woman, keeping the home flame burning, welcoming all, woman of hospitality.

Fifth stone - Brigid the woman of contemplation, which leads to wisdom and closeness with the Creator.

The holy well behind the five standing stone marks the 7th station. It is here that you can pray and draw water.

The Holy Well

Behind the well there were lots of things that people had left behind - cloth, notes, shoes, and photos.

T praying by the stations

There are 15 holy wells throughout Ireland documented as being connected to St. Brigid. These were established by Brigid to baptize pagans. It is also believed that the water of these wells have cured many people.

There is another famous story about St. Brigid and her cloak. St. Brigid went to the King of Leinster to ask for land to build a convent. She told the king that the place where she stood was a perfect place for a convent. It was beside a forest where they could collect firewood. There was also a lake nearby that would provide water and the land was fertile. The king laughed at her and refused to give her any land. Brigid prayed to God and asked him to soften the king's heart. She smiled at the king and said "will you give me as much land as my cloak will cover?" The king thought that she was joking and because Brigid's cloak was so small he knew that would only cover a very small piece of land. The king agreed and Brigid spread her cloak on the ground. She asked her four friends to hold a corner of the cloak and walk in opposite directions. The four friends walked north, south, east, and west. The cloak grew immediately and began to cover many acres of land. The king was astonished and he realized that she had been blessed by God. The king fell to the ground and knelt before Brigid and promised her and her friends money, food, and supplies. Soon afterwards, the king became a Christian and started to help the poor. Brigid's miracle of the cloak was the first of many miracles that she worked for the people of Ireland.

There is a great book that my daughter K loved when she was little and its based on this story. I highly recommend it!

The rest of the day we walked around the Kildare outlet mall. I had been wanting to check it out. They had a lot of great stores but I still found the prices to just be outrageous even in the American stores like Nike, etc. Oh well. They had a great playground for the children!