Kildare Abbey facts for kids

Kildare Abbey was a very old monastery in County Kildare, Ireland. It was started by St Brigid way back in the 400s. Sadly, it was destroyed in the 1100s.

The Start of Kildare Abbey

The place where Kildare Abbey stood was first called Druim Criaidh. This means 'Ridge of Clay'. Later, it became known as Cill-Dara, which means 'Church of the Oak'. This name came from a big, important oak tree that St. Brigid loved.

St. Brigid first built a small prayer house there. But it quickly grew into a large monastery. What was special about it? It was a double monastery! This meant it had one part for women and another part for men. St. Brigid asked St. Conleth to lead the monastery. Another bishop, St. Nadfraoich, helped by teaching about the Gospel.

Life at the Abbey

A monk named Cogitosus lived at Kildare in the 700s. He wrote a book about St. Brigid's life. In his book, he called Kildare "the main city for all bishops." He also said that St. Conleth and the leaders after him were like "archbishops" for Ireland's bishops.

Cogitosus also mentioned that the abbess (the female leader) of Kildare was very important. Other abbesses in Ireland looked up to her. Because of this, Kildare is special. For a long time, records kept track of both the abbesses and the abbots (male leaders) side-by-side.

Visitors and the Church

Cogitosus wrote about huge crowds visiting Kildare. People came from all over Ireland, especially on St. Brigid's feast day, February 1st. They came to pray and hoped to be healed at her special shrine.

He described the church as very big and beautiful. It had clear sections for men and women. The church was decorated with many pictures and fancy tapestries. It also had lovely windows and doorways.

What Remains Today

Sadly, none of the old church or other buildings are left today. Only the Round Tower still stands. This tower is very tall, about 136 feet (41 meters) high. It has a beautifully carved doorway.

A School of Art and Learning

Bishop Conleth started a school at Kildare. It was famous for its metalwork. This school became very successful over time.

Gerald of Wales, a writer from the 1100s, praised the amazing artwork in the books made there. He especially mentioned a book of the Four Gospels, called the Evangelistarium. It was based on the version by St. Jerome.

The famous Book of Leinster is thought to be a copy of older books kept at the Kildare School. Finn MacGorman, who became Bishop of Kildare in 1148, copied it.

Challenges and Changes

Even during tough times, the school at Kildare kept going. We know about teachers like Cobthac, who died in 1069. He was known for knowing "everything about church rules." There was also Ferdomhnach, who was blind but knew a lot about the Bible.

The Sacred Fire

In 1135, Dermot MacMurrough caused trouble for the monastery. The next year, Diarmaid O'Brien and his brothers attacked and burned the town. But the School of Brigid continued its work.

There was a special holy fire at Kildare called the "inextinguishable" fire. People believed it had been burning since St. Brigid's time. However, Henry de Loundres, who was the Archbishop of Dublin, ordered it to be put out. He thought it was a superstition.

But the Bishop of Kildare lit the fire again! It kept burning until the time of Elizabeth I. During her rule, many monasteries in Ireland were closed down. This led to the "inextinguishable" fire, and all other monastic lights in Ireland, finally being put out for good.