Founding by Saint Brigid Rich in heritage and history, Kildare Town dates from the 5th century, when it was the site of the original 'Church of the Oak' and monastery founded by Saint Brigid. This became one of the three most important Christian foundations in Celtic Ireland. It was said that Brigid's mother was a Christian and that Brigid was reared in her father's family, that is with the children of his lawful wife. From her mother, Brigid learned dairying and the care of the cattle, and these were her occupations after she made a vow to live a life of holy
chastity. Both
Saint Mel of Ardagh and Bishop have been credited with the
consecration of Brigid and some companions, after which the woman established a community beneath an oak tree, on a hill on the edge of the
Curragh. Hence the name , the church of the oak. Not too far away, on , lived the King of Leinster who had donated the site to the holy woman. A story told was that the King had offered Brigid as much land as her cloak would cover. When she spread her garment it miraculously stretched out to embrace the entire Curragh. True to his promise, the King gave her the fertile plain, and there the new community grazed their sheep and cows.
Carmelite Friary (White Abbey) Church, Kildare The
Carmelite Friars accepted the invitation of
Lord William de Vesci and came to Kildare in 1290. This same de Vesci also established the
Franciscans in the Grey Abbey and built the original
castle of Kildare. With the suppression of the monasteries under
Henry VIII, White Abbey was surrendered on 3 April 1539. The Friars, however, continued to minister clandestinely to the people of the area during the next two centuries. When the
Penal Laws were relaxed in the 1750s, the Carmelites returned to Kildare and erected a church and a school close to or on the original 1290 foundation. This eighteenth century church served the Carmelites and the people in the district for more than one hundred years. The foundation stone of the present church was laid on 8 December 1884. The architect was
William Hague who designed churches in the
Pugin style. The church is therefore gothic in design and the builder was John Harris of
Monasterevan, who used
Wicklow granite and local stone from Boston, Rathangan. The church is
cruciform in plan with the
nave being set off with alternating window and arched roof-truss. The transepts are defined by polished granite pillars with moulded bases and carved caps which support arches in line with the walls of the nave. The side chapels are seen from the transepts and chancel through arches springing from moulded piers which also support the large chancel arch with its polished granite corbel shafts, moulded bases and carved caps. The principal entrance doorway faces east with pillared jambs, carved
tympanum and moulded arches set in a projecting porch. The tower, with its lantern
belfry, extends above the level of the nave roof. It has deeply recessed windows on each face and is finished with a moulded cornice. From this point, the tapering spire rises to a height of 40 metres and is surmounted by a cross. On the north transept wall of the church are inserted – for safekeeping – some interesting fifteenth/sixteenth century stone sculptures which came from the ruins of the Franciscan Grey Abbey. They are similar to the carvings from
Great Connell and
Dunfierth, also in County Kildare, and probably came from the same workshop. The stained glass in the church includes scenes from the lives of Our Lord and the Blessed Virgin Mary, from the Scapular Vision, as well as
Saints Patrick and Brigid, and the four Evangelists. The rose window over the main entrance is of special interest with its centrepiece being the Prophet Elijah, the spiritual founder of the Order. The surrounding panels show St Telesphorus, St Dionysius, St Albert (Patriarch of Jerusalem), St Andrew Corsini, St Cyril of Alexandria, St Louis IX, St Angelus, and St Albert of Sicily. In February 2016, the Carmelite Church and Friary were entrusted to the Indian Carmelites.
Milestone in early motorsport In July 1903, the
Gordon Bennett Cup ran through Kildare. It was the first international motor race to be held in Britain or Ireland. The
Automobile Club of Great Britain and Ireland wanted the race to be hosted in Britain or Ireland, and Ireland was suggested as racing was illegal on British public roads. The editor of the
Dublin Motor News suggested an area in
County Kildare, and letters were sent to politicians, newspapers, railway companies, hoteliers, and clergy to win support and amend local laws. Kildare was chosen, among other candidate venues, partly because the straightness of the roads was deemed a safety benefit. As a compliment to Ireland, the British team chose to race in
Shamrock green which became known as
British racing green. The 528 km race ran on a loop through parts of counties Kildare and Carlow, including Kildare town. It was won by Belgian racer
Camille Jenatzy in a Mercedes. ==Annalistic references==