- St Brigid’s Cathedral in Kildare town marks the site of the ancient monastery founded by St Brigid in the 5th century, where she established a double monastery for men and women, and tended a perpetual flame symbolising continuity of sacred fire from pre-Christian times. The cathedral, with its round tower and fire temple ruins, draws pilgrims honouring the saint’s legacy of healing, poetry, and protection in this historic ecclesiastical centre.
- St Brigid’s Well (Tobar Bríde) near Kildare town, in a peaceful landscaped setting at Tully, features a clear spring flowing through stone channels past a bronze statue of the saint holding a flame. A place of enduring pilgrimage for healing and blessings, especially on her feast day (1 February), it preserves ancient hydrolatry customs, with visitors performing prayer rounds and collecting water, blending pre-Christian spring veneration with Brigid’s Christian intercession.
- St Brigid’s Wayside Well (also at Tully, near the Irish National Stud) is a simpler, roadside spring long associated with St Brigid, where pilgrims pause for quiet devotion and reflection. Its modest charm and proximity to the main well highlight the abundance of Brigidine sites in the area, echoing older traditions of sacred water sources.
- Oughterard, just off the N7 junctions 5 and 6, ancient hilltop monastic site and round tower dating to the 600s, best known as the grave site for brewery founder Arthur Gjuiness. The view extends to seven counties. Nearby Lyons Hill was an inauguration site for the House of Dunlaing when they held the kingship of Leinster, but is on private land an is inaccessible.
- Knockaulin (Dún Ailinne), a prominent hilltop enclosure near Kilcullen, served as a major pre-Christian ceremonial and inauguration site for the kings of Leinster. This large-scale ritual complex, with its banked defences and possible standing stones, reflects ancient kingship rites and sacred landscape use, later influenced by nearby Christian foundations.
- Hill of Allen (Cnoc Alúine) rises as a volcanic landmark tied to pre-Christian mythology, legendary seat of the warrior Fionn mac Cumhaill and the Fianna. Its summit tower and mythic associations with heroic lore draw visitors pondering ancient reverence for prominent hills as power centres, with echoes of inauguration traditions in Leinster’s royal past.
- Carbury Hill (or associated sacred spring lore) evokes pre-Christian myths of forbidden springs guarded by kings and poets, where legends of transgression (such as Boann’s visit) highlight ancient hydrolatry and nature taboos, later adapted into Christian narratives in the region.
County Kildare:
Ireland’s county Kildare blends historic sites with lush countryside, with the National Stud and Japanese Gardens offering a unique mix of equine heritage and serene landscapes. Castletown House, a grand Palladian mansion, provides historical insights, while the Curragh’s open plains are ideal for walking. The ancient Hill of Allen adds archaeological depth, making Kildare an engaging stop for culture and nature. The new Shackleton Experience has opened in Athy. Kildare is Ireland’s eighth smallest county by size (1,694 square km) and seventh largest by population (247,774). Population reached its lowest point, 57,892 in 1936. In terms of hospitality, Kildare is Ireland’s 15th most visited tourist county with around 168,000 international visitors per year.
Introduction – Adventure – Anthem – Archaeology – Attractions – Awards – Birdwatching – Camping – Castles– Churches – Contact list – Cycling – Dining – Equestrian – Festivals – Fishing – Folklore – Gardens – Golf – Graveyards – Happening – Haunted – Highest – Hiking – History – Holy Wells – Hotels – Hotels8 – Instagrammable – Itineraries – Largest town – Luxury – MICE – Movies – Musicians – Name – New – Novelists – Off the beaten track – Poets – Pubs – Quotes – Random Facts – Restaurant Awards – Sacred Places – Saints – Spas – Sports – Sunsets– Sustainable – Things to do – Towns – Video – Villages – Walking – Wanderlist – Weddings – Wild swimming – Writers – 1837 – 1846 – 1852 – 1909 – 1955 – 1980 –
Sacred Places
Antrim – Armagh – Carlow – Cavan – Clare – Cork – Derry – Donegal – Down – Dublin – Fermanagh – Galway – Kerry – Kildare – Kilkenny – Laois – Leitrim – Limerick – Longford – Louth – Mayo – Meath – Monaghan – Offaly – Roscommon – Sligo – Tipperary – Tyrone – Waterford – Westmeath – Wexford – Wicklow
