Description : Faughart (also written Fochart) is an early Christian ruins and shrine site just north of Dundalk, County Louth, Ireland. As a popular site for modern pilgrimages, it was the birthplace of St. Brigid in 451 AD, and one of her relics is held in a church in nearby Kilcurry. Edward Bruce is buried in the graveyard on the hill above the shrine (54°03′06″N 6°23′03″W). Bruce, who had taken the title King of Ireland, was defeated and killed at the Battle of Faughart in 1318. Landmarks include St. Brigid's stone and pillar, her shrine and well, and modern religious sites devoted to the saint that attract thousands of pilgrims and tourists, providing a massive boost to the local economy. Ruins include an iron-age fort, a Norman motte-castle, and a medieval church. Situated 3 km north of Dundalk and 6 km south of Forkill, and standing at the southern end of the Gap of the North/Moyry Pass, Faughart held huge strategic importance for many centuries and was the scene of many battles; one such legendary battle was fought by Cú Chulainn in the Táin.
See on map »