Whilst we have made celebrating St. Patrick an international event, Bríd is well on her way to gaining the recognition she deserves too. Tá obair fós le déanamh le go mbeidh cothrom na féinne ag Bríd i bhféilre na hÉireann ach is cinnte go gcabhraíonn an lá saoire bainc agus na himeachtaí áille atá ag tarlú timpeall na tíre.
Bríd or Bridget was a pagan Goddess in Ireland before she became known as St. Bridget in Catholic Ireland. Bríd's reputation as a woman of great significance was well documented in Irish folklore and the renewed energy to celebrate her and her legacy has fed into re-examining how women were viewed in our national history.
Cé go bhfuil Bríd á ceiliúradh le fada an lá in Éirinn, (bhíodh cros Bhríde mar chuid lárnach de bhrandáil RTÉ ar feadh i bhfad, cuir i gcás), is léir go bhfuil muid fiosrach faoin mbean agus a hoidhreacht agus muid ag déanamh athléamh ar scéal na hÉireann ach go háirithe maidir le ról na mban in Éirinn.
1. Get to know Bríd- An Naomh agus An Bhean. Cuir aithne ar Bhríd, naomh agus bean.
As part of Brigit: Dublin City celebrating women, The National Library will host Brigid and Beyond: The Women of Irish Folklore.
Brigid is an inspiring figure in Irish folklore that symbolises creativity, wisdom, and healing, among other qualities. While we turn our focus to Brigid at one of Ireland's quarter days, we can also take this time and all it represents to explore how the qualities we find in Brigid appear in the other women of Irish folklore. Join folklorist Glynnis Cowley in celebrating the diverse figures of women in Irish folklore and their stories.
30 Eanáir, The National Library, An Leabharlann Náisiúnta ag 1.00pm
2. Listen to how Lá 'le Bríde was celebrated fadó fadó
Get to know about how St. Bridget's Day/ Lá 'le Bríde was recorded in the National Folklore Collection's via Bailiúchán na Scol, a project in which primary school children in the 1930s recorded the traditions and folklore in their lives. The late Manchán Magan reads from this incredible collection as part of Imbolc below.
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Éist anseo le Cartlann Bhóthar na Léinsí ar RTÉ Raidió na Gaeltachta, áit a bhfuil Bab Feirtéar, Joe Daly, Caitlín Mhic Eoin, Peig Uí Riagáin agus Nell Tom Ní Ríordáin ag caint faoi Bhríd agus a hoidhreacht.
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3. Get creative.
Tugann Bríd deis dúinn a bheith cruthaitheach agus aghaidh a thabhairt ar an bhfuinneamh nua a thugann an t-Earrach dúinn.
Traditionally, many people hung a cloth or a rag on a bush on the eve of St Brigid's Day believing St. Brigid would bless it overnight and bestow curative properties on it by morning. This cloth was known as the brat Bríde and could be worn within clothing for protection, or used as a cure for headaches or toothaches.
Déan Cros Bhríde. Making Bridget's crosses from rushes is a core memory for many of us from primary school. Burning last year's and making new ones to hang over the door is seen as a form of protection and renewal.
4. Find Bridget with Siobhán Mc Sweeney. Aimsigh Bríd le Siobhán Mc Sweeney.
Ireland celebrated its first public holiday dedicated to a woman in 2023. Siobhán McSweeney, of Derry Girls' fame, goes in search of the real St. Brigid. Ó ról na mban in Éirinn go hiarsmaí na mná timpeall na tíre, fiosraíonn Mc Sweeney gach gné den bhean seo. Is féidir leat féachaint siar ar an gclár anseo
Whichever way you choose to celebate Brigid/ Bríd, her day signifies the start of Spring in Ireland, gura fada buan í agus a hoidhreacht thábhachtach.
