Christianity came to Kiltubrid in the 5th century. It is thought that St.Patrick passed through the Lough Scur district. The first medieval church we know of in the parish was built beside a well so it was called Cill Tiobraid, the church of the well. This church gave its name to the town land where it was built and to the parish. The town land was later changed to Annadale. The parish still has the name. There was a monastic settlement where that church was. Some of the ruins of the church and of the monastic settlement are still to be seen. The old cemetery is there also. This was the centre of Christian worship for over 1000 years. The Mac Rannall (later know as Reynolds) family of Lough Scur was a very influential family in the parish. By 1620, the church and monastic settlements were closed.

Protestant settlers:

John Peyton married Catherine Reynolds of Lough Scur and lived in Laheen from 1682. The Johnston family came to Aughacashel, the Peyton family came to Driney and in 1692, the Slack family came to Cill Tiobraid. The Slacks remained until 1908. The Slacks were given all the church land and buildings in Kiltubrid. That meant that Catholics had no place for worship.

The Penal Laws (1700-1720)

Priests were forbidden to say mass and Catholic teachers were forbidden to teach. They went into hiding but continued their work. Priests said mass and administered the sacraments up the mountain where there were two huge rocks which gave them refuge. The priests were being hunted and would be killed if they were found.

On 27 July, 1714 at a special court sitting in Carrick on Shannon a list of all the priests and teachers who were defying the law was read out. The names from Kiltubrid were Felix Mc Keon, Parish Priest of Kiltubrid (ordained in Clonfert in 1682 by Bishop Thady Keogh) Oughy Duigenan, a Franciscan friar in Fenagh and Kiltubrid, Francis Keane, a young priest in Kiltubrid, James Mc Hugh, a schoolmaster in Kesh and Fr Dan Mc Griskin, who was a Franciscian who said Mass in Kiltubrid in Penal times. These places are associated with him. Father Dan's cave in Mohercregg, Poll a Huggie in Gortnawan, the mass rock in Mullaghgarve (called teampaill or "the old church" by locals.)

By 1750 the Penal Laws had relaxed and the Catholic Church came out of hiding .A small chapel, with wattled walls, and thatched roof was built on a temporary site in Roscarbin (between the present primary school and the priest's house. ) St. Brigid's Church was built in 1781.

Methodism in Kiltubrid

In 1764 or 1765 Angel Anne Slack, aged17 married her first cousin William Slack and went to live in Kiltubrid House. William renamed the house Anna Dale in her honour and the house and town land are still called Annadale. Angel Anna Slack often visited Dublin and while there converted to Methodism, founded by John Wesley . She formed a Methodist Society at Annadale. Its members were mainly servants, tenants and workers in their iron foundry . William Slack also joined the society . Twice John Wesley stayed in Annadale - in May 1787 and May 1789. The Catholic priest and Protestant curate were friends but Catholics and Protestants saw the Methodists as a threat to them, so they built two churches in the 1780s. The Catholic one in 1781 and the Protestant one in 1785. George Reynolds of Letterfine gave the site for St. Brigid's church on 8 April 1781 to Rev. Michael Reynolds in the townland of Roscarbin. It was an oblong barn church with stone walls and a thatched roof. The old graveyard was still in use until 1905. The Protestant church was built in 1785. In 1825 the Glebe House (present home of the Easterbrook family), was built for the rector in Druminagh. The Catholics had to pay tithes to the Protestant church as well as dues to their priests. This caused unrest for many years. Angel Anna Slack died suddenly on the 15th of November 1796. She was buried in the old graveyard behind the house. William Slack remarried. His new wife Peg Thompson would not allow any Methodist preachers to visit Annadale. Methodism declined after that.

In 1827, the thatched roof of the barn church was replaced with a slated one. In 1828, two galleries were erected one at either end, to accommodate the large numbers attending mass. There were no seats in the church except one for Lady Mc Namara (Mary Anne Reynolds) of Letterfine. Her house was used as a parochial house after her death. Fr. Henry Kennedy lived there for most of his 21 years as a priest (1855-1876.)

Kiltubrid had both a curate and a parish priest. Fr. Dennis Maguire who came in 1832 was the first parish priest and Fr. Gerard Mc Evilly was the last in 1974. Before and since that period, there has been only one priest in the parish. Before the famine, many Catholics did not attend mass but after the famine, the church became more alive and most people were mass goers. Fr. Patrick O' Farrell got the parochial house built in Roscarbin in 1878. This was where the parish priests lived until Fr. Edward Colreavy died in1972. Fr. Hugh Brennan had St. Brigid's Church extended and renovated in 1890. It was made into the shape of a cross with only one gallery. Seats were made for it and put in it as they were ready. Those wishing to sit in seats had to pay a penny when there were only a few seats. The re-dedication of the church by Bishop Woodlock was on the 11th of October 1891.