Like many early Irish saints, Brigid is an elusive figure, with her personality molded by later authors, devotees, communities, and vested interests. But such was Brigit’s inspirational leadership in her own lifetime, that her original community of followers at Kildare became and remained one of the most influential institutions in the country, until the twelfth century; second only to Patrick’s prominent church of Armagh.

Such was the influence wielded by the woman and her abbey, it was implied at the synod of Kells-Mellifont in 1152 that the abbess of Kildare had been exercising the privilege of precedence over bishops. Perhaps unsurprisingly, she was subsequently deprived of the status.

Although there may be no links to an ancient Celtic goddess, Brigit of the Fothairt, the Leinsterwoman, worked hard to build an inclusive church and found a community. In doing so she captured the imagination of a nation, creating a legacy that has lasted 1500 years.

Dr Niamh Wycherley lectures in medieval Irish history, culture and literature in the Department of Early Irish, Maynooth University. Her research to date has focused on the cult of saints and relics, in particular in relation to the role of the Church in medieval society. Her book, The Cult of Relics in Early Medieval Ireland, was the winner of the National University of Ireland (NUI) Publication Prize in Irish History.