St Brigid’s values and passions are still being embraced across Ireland 1,500 years after her death.
A renowned peacemaker, she is also known as a protector of nature, putting a modern focus on people’s response to global conflicts and climate change.
There’s a huge programme of events nationwide for the Brigid 1500 celebrations, ranging from traditional St Brigid’s cross making to spectacular light shows and concerts spread across the second Bank Holiday weekend in her honour.
While her birthplace is disputed, some say she was born in Faughart near Dundalk in Co Louth, others claim she was born outside Kildare town, but everyone is keen to lay claim to our first female patron saint.
Into Kildare CEO Áine Mangan admits to claiming St Brigid’s roots: “I’m a bit biased, obviously being from Kildare and representing Kildare, but we all work together and we’ve good fun with that too.”
Last year Into Kildare supported an initiative instigated by Sr Rita Minehan at the Solas Bhríde Spirituality Centre in Kildare town calling for a global pause for peace.
Now for a second year in a row the Pause for Peace movement in Kildare is inviting people from around the world to stop and pause for one minute’s silence or reflection at 12pm.
Sr Rita believes peace is much needed in the world today: “We wanted to give a virtual underpinning to the new Bank Holiday. The rolling Pause for Peace will start in New Zealand and will move seamlessly through continents and islands throughout St Brigid’s day. A wave of peace moving across the world on her day.
“By pausing for peace, we send out a message to the world that we actively oppose warfare and the proliferation of arms in our world today.”
This year 18 secondary schools in Kildare have joined forces with the initiative and 70 student peace ambassadors have been selected to promote peace and sustainability to reflect the saint’s role as a peacemaker and a protector of nature.
As part of the movement, students visited locations that had a connection with Brigid, including St Brigid’s well in Tully and The Curragh Racecourse.
St Brigid was given lands at the Curragh by the King of Leinster who told her she could have as much land as her cloak could cover. Tradition holds that miraculously her cloak grew and covered all the plains and she built her first church there under the shade of an oak tree.
This afternoon between 3,500 and 4,000 students will create a human St Brigid’s cross formation at the Curragh Racecourse.
If successful, the giant formation will be a world record with the most people coming together to make a living St Brigid’s Cross.
The Brigid 1500 programme across Co Kildare aims to bring together culinary, visual arts and musical performances across the Bank Holiday weekend.
Two fiery processions will also take place in Maynooth and Kildare while Riverdance will feature at a family event at the Curragh.
These visuals will aim to encapsulate Brigid, who was named by her father named after the goddess of fire, one of the most powerful goddesses of the pagan religion.
During her life she was inspired by St Patrick’s preaching and became a Christian.
Although a religious figure, she is also associated with poetry, charity, nature, metal crafting and fertility.
Sonya Kavanagh CEO believes its this range of qualities associated with Brigid that allows her to continue to impact on all aspects of modern Irish life and spirituality.
“I think that’s what’s so important, that’s what resonates about Bridget, that there is the spirituality and the religious aspect.
“But there’s also the other aspects of, you know, the culture of Bridget. The creativity, the sustainability and the social justice and peace. And I think I think that’s what makes her so interesting to so many people.”
Ms Kavanagh said the 1500 celebrations are huge for the people of Kildare.
“I know that a lot of people have affinity with Bridget all around the country but for Kildare, as the location of the monastery and where she showed her leadership as a woman, I think it’s extremely important for us. This programme of events really reinstates the importance of Bridget to us.”
In recognition of her role as a protector of nature, many see Brigid as the first real climate activist which has encouraged themes of sustainability and biodiversity throughout the programme of events,
A community group has been working for months on a sculpture ‘A New Dress for St Brigid’ which is being unveiled in front of Kildare Town Heritage Centre today.
Over 20 people worked on the sculpture starting last year on the Summer Solstice with the last finishing touches going on display today for Imbolc and the start of Spring.
The project was headed up by Beth Murphy, a willow basket maker and community artist. She believes this creation gives voice to people in the community that wouldn’t normally think their skills are worthy.
“There were a few mothers and daughters in the group and one of the women made the face from clay based on her daughter’s face, which brings a whole generational aspect into this piece,” said Ms Murphy.
The sculpture is made from willow, recycled copper cylinders, needle felting and hand stitched flames, including a handstitched piece of Brigid crossing the plains, a god’s eye cross, a woven basket, leather armlets with ‘Brigid 1500’ lasered on, oak leaves from the Curragh plains printed on organic linen naturally dyed, hair made from wet felting on wire, a head piece from flax and the face is made from clay.
“To me it’s absolutely an educational piece. So for anybody that’s looking at craft and the environment we live in right now thinking of sustainability, biodiversity there’s not one bit of plastic in our Brigid, everything is recycled or natural. So to me she’s a learning tool, so I think her journey is only beginning really and she’s going to be a busy lady”, Ms Murphy said.
Another artist inspired by nature spent the last year researching, writing and illustrating ‘I am Brigid’.
Having rediscovered the Goddess Brigid through writing her first fantasy novel in 2022, Kildare author and artist Emma-Jane Leeson was determined to use the funding from the Brigid 1500 fund to delve deep into the stories and events that shaped the most iconic woman in her home county.
She hopes this book will empower young women to be as brave and bold as the fiery Goddess and as wise and caring as the modern saint.
Describing the book as a labour of love, Ms Leeson said it is a tribute to the enduring spirit of Brigid, and a celebration of Kildare’s rich heritage.
“I have read countless articles and books on Brigid over the course of the last year to really dive into the spirit of one of the most iconic Irish women. I personally find her longevity and tenacity inspiring and loved every second of working alongside her as a character,” said Ms Leeson.
