Saint Conleth

NAAS ROAD NEWBRIDGE COUNTY KILDARE

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Within the serene grounds of St Conleth’s Church in Newbridge, a tranquil garden and a poignant statue honour Saint Conleth. The statue portrays the saint with a child perched upon his shoulders, holding aloft a St Bridget’s Cross.

Saint Conleth, a man of many talents, was an Irish hermit, metalworker, and reputed copyist and illuminator of manuscripts. It is believed that he hailed from the picturesque Wicklow area.

While leading a solitary life at Old Connell on the River Liffey, in what is now Newbridge, he was persuaded by the revered Saint Brigid to serve as a priest for her monastic community in Kildare. Around 490 AD, he became the first Bishop of Kildare. Cogitosus, in his insightful “Life of Brigid,” refers to him as the esteemed “bishop and abbot of the monks of Kildare”.

Tragically, Conleth’s life was cut short in 519 AD when he was attacked by wolves in the dense forests of Leinster while on a pilgrimage to Rome. He was laid to rest nearby. In 799 AD, his relics were transported and placed beside Brigid’s in the grand cathedral in Kildare. Finally, in 835 AD, his relics were returned to their final resting place in Connell.

Saint Conleth is the revered patron saint of the Catholic St Conleth’s Parish, encompassing Newbridge and its surrounding areas. Old Connell, the site of Conleth’s original cell, now a peaceful graveyard, lies within the parish boundaries.

A testament to Saint Conleth’s renowned metalwork skills is the crozier that he crafted for Saint Finbarr of Termonbarry.

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