BLANCHARDSTOWN VILLAGE 25 AUGUST 2022
The foundation stone for St. Brigid’s Church was laid on 13th October 1835 and the first Mass was celebrated there on 29th October 1837. The construction of the Church, tower and spire was finally completed in 1863. The spire, which is 189 feet high, is of a distinctive and unusual design, said to be Flemish – similar type spires can be found on the continent.
Due to a sharp rise in population, the size of the Church became inadequate for the needs of the Parish. However, rather than build a new Church it was decided to retain the old Church but to add on a modern extension. This extension is designed so that it can be closed off from the main Church and it is used for meetings, school concerts etc. Its vibrant stained glass window was designed by Phyllis Burke and installed in 1978. The central panel of the window depicts a story told about St. Brigid; legend has it that the King of Leinster told Brigid that he would give her as much land as her cloak would cover. Brigid spread her cloak on the ground and it spread until it covered the entire hillside. The first Mass was celebrated there at midnight on December 24th 1977.
