Over 1400 years ago, St Aidan left his teacher, St David, in Wales and returned to Ireland. He took a boat from Pembrokeshire and sailed across the Irish Sea to County Wexford.
As he landed at Ard Ladrann (present-day Ardmine), St Aidan saw a group of defenceless pilgrims being robbed. To stop the crime, he sounded his bell and drew the robbers attention. Distracted, the robbers let the pilgrims escape but captured St Aidan and brought him to their chieftain, Dima.
In atonement for his men’s attack on the pilgrims, Dima granted St Aidan some land in County Wexford. St Aidan then used this land to build his first church on Irish soil.
Sources:
Bethada Náem nÉrenn: Lives of the Irish Saints, vol. 2 by Charles Plummer.
Citation:
Pembrokeshire County Council, County Hall, Haverfordwest, Pembrokeshire. SA61 1TP
E: ancientconnections@pembrokeshire.gov.uk
T: +44 (0)7798925695
Wexford County Council: County Hall, Carricklawn, Wexford, Y35 WY93
E: ancient.connections@wexfordcoco.ie
T: +353 (0) 87 338 6005
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Pembrokeshire County Council, together with partners Wexford County Council, Pembrokeshire Coast National Park Authority and Visit Wexford are working collaboratively on Ancient Connections, an exciting cross-border arts, heritage and sustainable tourism project funded by the European Regional Development Fund through the Ireland Wales co-operation programme.
