•^ January and February ^ 



the mists of centuries we see her gracious figure, her 

 lamb in her arms, a lamp in her hand. When the bitter 

 winds are still blowing, the kindly flame of her flower, the 

 dandelion, shines out and tells us that spring is near. She 

 watches over mothers and their new-born babes, and on 

 the hill-sides she brings the shepherds to the new-born 

 lambs. She is loved in all Celtic lands, from the western 

 highlands and islands of Scotland to Kildare, where, for 

 centuries, her lamp was kept always burning. 



St. Bride's father was Dubtach, twelfth in descent from 

 Fedlimidh Rechtmar, King of Ireland in the second 

 century. Her mother was a beautiful slave. When St. 

 Bride took the veil seven virgins followed her example, 

 and each of them chose a Beatitude representing the grace 

 she specially desired. St. Bride chose ' Blessed are the 

 merciful for they shall obtain mercy.' The various lives 

 of her recount many tales of her gentle pity for all young 

 creatures, and for weak and suffering folk. She was noted 

 for her love of animals and birds, and she particularly 

 delighted in calling the wild duck and geese to her and 

 caressing them. 



When her fame was at its height Iollan, King of Lein- 

 ster, offered her land to build a monastery. She chose the 

 clay ridge above the plain of Magh Breagh, and there, by 

 an ancient and venerated oak, she established her cill, 

 afterwards famous as Kildare, the ' cell of the oak.' In- 

 numerable folk of both sexes came to her cill and, 

 according to Cogitosus, Kildare became l the head of 

 nearly all the Irish churches and the pinnacle towering 

 above all monasteries of the Scots, whose jurisdiction 

 spread throughout the whole Hibernian land, reaching 

 from sea to sea.' St. Bride was joined by her kinsman, 



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