ST. BRIGID OF IRELAND HOUSE
Welcome to the homepage of St Brigid of Ireland House. Our house was honourably named after Mrs Bridget O’Mahoney who dedicated her teaching career not only to teaching but teaching at Archbishop Ilsley Catholic School. She made a huge difference in the lives of countless individuals over her years of service and through our house name, we reminder the impact that kindness and fairness can have.
Through our house we aim to live by this ideal and we endeavour to work together as a family to demonstrate strong attributes that help us grow together as a community and as academic, spiritual and mindful individuals. It is through our loyalty and support to one another we are able to build on our achievements and successes. As students and as staff, we stride each day to be the very best we can possibly be as academics and as citizens. With that we all aim to demonstrate three core principles set by St Brigid House; equality, compassion and inspiration.
WHO WAS ST. BRIGID OF IRELAND?
Brigid was most likely born at Faughart near Dundalk, Louth, Ireland. Her parents were baptized by St. Patrick, with whom she developed a close friendship. According to legend, her father was Dubhthach, an Irish chieftain of Leinster, and her mother, Brocca, was a slave at his court. Even as a young girl she evinced an interest for a religious life and took the veil in her youth from St. Macaille at Croghan and probably was professed by St. Mel of Armagh, who is believed to have conferred abbatial authority on her. She settled with seven of her virgins at the foot of Croghan Hill for a time and about the year 468, followed Mel to Meath. About the year 470 she founded a double monastery at Cill-Dara (Kildare) and was Abbess of the convent, the first in Ireland. The foundation developed into a centre of learning and spirituality, and around it grew up the Cathedral city of Kildare. She founded a school of art at Kildare and its illuminated manuscripts became famous, notably the Book of Kildare, which was praised as one of the finest of all illuminated Irish manuscripts before its disappearance three centuries ago. Brigid was one of the most remarkable women of her times, and despite the numerous legendary, extravagant, and even fantastic miracles attributed to her, there is no doubt that her extraordinary spirituality, boundless charity, and compassion for those in distress were real. She died at Kildare on February 1st. The Mary of the Gael, she is buried at Downpatrick with St. Columba and St. Patrick, with whom she is the patron of Ireland. Her name is sometimes Bridget and Bride. Her feast day is February 1st.
HOUSE MOTTO, PRAYER AND COLOURS
May Brigid bless this house wherein you dwell.
Bless every fireside, every wall and door
Bless every heat that beats beneath its roof.
Bless every hand that toils to bring it joy.
Bless every foot that walks its portals through.
May Brigid bless the house that shelters you.
Compassion, equality and inspiration!
This follows the values of Ilsley and St Brigid- to look after the whole community, especially the most vulnerable, to treat everyone as they would like to be treated and take every new opportunity as a learning experience.