Born a.d. 439. Died a.d. 525

SAINT BRIGHITT, or Brighid, or Breeyith, or Bride, or Bridget, or Brigit, as her name has been at various periods Anglicised, was descended from the illustrious family of the Fotharda, of Leinster.

Her genealogy is thus given in the bardic senchas:

Divesting her of the supernatural gifts attributed to her, and trying to sift the truth from the many absurd stories related concerning her, Saint Brigit stands forth a great and good woman. In an age when the position of her sex was a subordinate one intellectually, she accomplished a work which, considering the disposition of the times, may well have been considered, in that age, as almost superhuman. Of her learning, her blameless life, and her wise judgment, there can be no question: and in such reverence was she held, that to swear by her name was considered the most solemn oath.

There were fifteen saints of the name of Brigit; the most famous of whom, and the first of the name, was the subject of this memoir. She was the daughter of the Leinster man, Dubthach, who was descended from Eochaidh Finn Fuathairt, brother of the renowned Conn of the Hundred Battles.