Tag: Brigit

Writing News

Brigit’s Blessings Festival, Dublin 1st February

I’m delighted to be working with Woman Spirit Ireland (WSI) for the 2026 Brigit Festival “Brigit’s Blessings: Healing and Peace Weaving”. I’m looking forward to reading from Mantles, my collaborative exploration of Brigid with visual artist Margo McNulty. Other speakers and performers include Rosari Kingston, Michelle Le Baron, Mary Condren, Bridget O’Connell-Regan, Mari Fitzduff, Moya Cannon, Ruth Marshall, Anne O’Reilly, Grace Wells, Nuala Hayes.

Join us to celebrate the spirit of Brigit through ritual, music, poetry, dance and creative expression. The festival will take place in The Round Room Conference & Events Venue Dublin – Mansion House Dublin 2, on Sunday, Feb 1st from 2pm to 10:30pm.

Festival tickets are available here. Please note that a significant donation arising from this event will be made to Médecins Sans Frontières.

Read Mary Condren’s article “Time to restore Brigid’s distaff as a symbol of peace and healing” in The Irish Times.

Writer Interview, Writers Chat, Writers Read

Fire – Lia Mills interviews Niamh Boyce and Shauna Gilligan

Fire: Brigid and the Sacred Feminine: An interview with editors Niamh Boyce and Shauna Gilligan (PART 1 of 2)
Contemplation, Writing Festival, Writing Life, Writing Workshops

Imbolc & Brigid’s Day

Image of Brídeog (Brigid Doll) against a large Rosemary Bush. Brídeog is made of hay, wearing a white cloak and yellow dress made from cotton material. (c) Shauna Gilligan

This year as well as giving a series of workshops focused on Brigid as part of Brigid 1500, I am attending numerous Brigid events.

On Saturday 28th, I attended Brigit of Ireland: Icon for Today, in Trinity College Dublin (TCD) which was a wonderful day of events devised by Woman Spirit Ireland (Dr Mary Condren, Director) and opened by Dr Catherine Lawless, Director of the Centre for Gender and Women’s Studies (TCD). It was great to talk to fellow Brigid enthusiasts as well as hear the latest in historical and folkloric studies. Lectures and presentations included linking place and context, Dr Edel Breathnach and placenames as well as customs, Séamas Ó Catháín who also launched his book The Festival of Brigit. I’m very much looking forward to diving in!

Part of the day invited participants to create a brídeog, the process of which I most thoroughly enjoyed – guided by the ever patient poet Ruth Marshall. I’ve brought my brídeog to the garden (see photo above), and around the house, where she now sits, facing the front door (photo below).

I am very much looking forward to attending many more events (most of which are free and open to all) and encourage you to do the same:

In the spirit of Brigid, Lá Fheile Bríd, Peacful Imbolc….And don’t forget that Kildare calls for a Pause for Peace across the world at 12 mid-day your local time on Tuesday, 1st February 2023.