Five Feet, Nine Inches Above Ground

Sunday August 11 2024

Kildare is actually all about thorough bred horses. The Irish National Stud & Gardens is located slightly outside the town limits to the south. A town of close to 11,000 inhabitants, besides horses, I would guess civic interests focus on football, hurling and possibly St Bridgid. There is the Cathedral of St Brigid, historically the site of a religious community founded by the saint. She is one of the trio of Irish saints, Patrick and Colmcille (Columba).

The Roses of Tralee refers to a annual competition open to young women of a certain age and I happened to be on the spot when this year’s bevy of beauties hopped off a bus in the centre of Kildare on a Sunday afternoon and paraded down the street to St Brigid’s Parish Catholic Church to visit the relic of St Brigid. The relic is a story in itself having finally arrived in Kildare earlier this year. Not knowing until afterwards what this was all about, I happily trailed along as any journalist would, to learn more. I managed to get into the church before they did plus managed some photos of the home of the relic after they left. The relic is a small piece of her skull, supposedly.

Kildare was a stopover evening before returning the car in Kilkenny the next morning. I hadn’t realized until it was too late, ( a Guinness or two) that I could have toured the National Stud & Gardens plus the Japanese Gardens. Next time! This means my next stop is Dublin for three days. see you there!