Welcome to the County Kildare homepage of the Ireland
Genealogy Projects (IGP). Our website in dedicated to
providing Free Genealogy information
This website provides a brief description of County Kildare
in the Republic of Ireland as well as valuable links to County Kildare
genealogy resources.
Brief History of County Kildare
County Kildare (Irish Cill Dara) takes its name
from St. Brigid’s monastery beneath an
oak tree;
Cill Dara the church of the oak tree. This 6th century saint
is one of the three
patrons of Ireland. Little factual evidence is
known about the saint but it is
traditionally believed that she founded
a monastery at
Kildare which was unique in that it was a mixed
community of nuns & monks
It was there that she died in 525 AD. The
eternal fire, which was tended by the
nuns there, was extinguished at
the time of the Reformation.
St.
Brigid’s Cross, woven from rushes, is said to have been first plaited
by the
saint when she was explaining the mysteries of the Christian
gospel to a dying
pagan.
The cross is still being made, and is place over the door to
protect people from
illness or bad luck.
