If you ever go to London town ....

I had the opportunity to visit London with some friends last weekend, and following an RTE documentary about St. Bride's Church in Fleet Street, on St. Brigid's Day, the site was on our itinerary.

It is the eight church on this site, and people have been worshipping here for 1500 years.

An Anglican Church, it is better known as the Journalists' Church, though all are long gone from Fleet Street. The first printing press with movable type was brought here in 1500.

As a result of a bomb which dropped here in 1940, crypts and old Roman foundations were discovered and now form part of their museum, which is free to visit.

King John held his councils in this church - maybe he mentioned his 1210 bridge in Lucan here!!!

St. Bride's steeple is said to be the inspiration for the first wedding cake!

Lots of famous names are associated with the church and parish - Charles Dickens, Samuel Pepys, John Milton, and Samuel Johnson among others.

Of particular interest is a side altar with the familiar names of journalists recently deceased, many covering the war in Ukraine, also Irish woman Lyra McKee, and more recently, sports journalist John Motson. The stalls bear a litany of names well known to every Irish schoolchild of a certain era.

Dedicated to St. Brigid, a link has been established between St. Bride's Church and Kildare County Council, from which it is planned to strengthen the ties on both sides of the Irish Sea. So if you go to London, put this most interesting church on your to do list.

M.M.