Roughly 4,000 secondary school students gathered in Co Kildare to attempt to break the world record for the largest human St. Brigid's Cross ever formed.
Students from 18 secondary schools across Co Kildare took part in the world record attempt at the Curragh Racecourse on Thursday, January 31 to celebrate St. Brigid's Day.
The attempt was carried out in collaboration with tourism board Into Kildare and the Solas Bhríde Centre and Hermitages for the second annual Pause for Peace movement, a global St. Brigid's Day initiative with a minute's silence at midday to acknowledge injustice and suffering in the world.
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Participating schools appointed 70 "peace ambassadors" to promote the Pause for Peace movement and support a number of environmental and sustainable initiatives.
Drone footage of the gathering filmed by Frame It Productions and shared by Kildare Nationalist showed just how magnificent the effort was:
Eleanor Steed, 16, from Cross and Passion College in Kilcullen, said it was really important to promote St. Brigid's values, including peace, environmental justice, and care for the sick and poor.
"The kindness she lived her life with, I think we need to bring that forward in our lives too," Steed told RTÉ News.
Eve Corrigan, a 16-year-old peace ambassador from Kildare Town Community School, said Thursday's event was about promoting "peace and love for all."
"I think what we’re trying to promote here today is peace and love for all, and equality and social justice because that’s what’s really important to us as Peace Ambassadors," Corrigan told RTÉ News.
"These are all values St. Brigid held close to her and I think its really important for her 1,500th anniversary that we keep promoting these values in our everyday lives."
St. Brigid, who is believed to have died in 524 AD, founded her monastic church on the Curragh Plains in the 5th century, according to Christian teachings.
Last month, a relic of St. Brigid returned to her native Kildare as part of her 1,500th anniversary celebrations.
The relic - a fragment of St. Brigid's skull - arrived at St. Brigid's Parish Church in Kildare Town on Sunday, January 28, and will remain on permanent display at the church.
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