St. Brigid’s Day, observed this year on Monday, February 6, is Ireland’s newest national holiday following Herstory’s successful three-year campaign.
Herstory is leading Ireland's St. Brigid's Day 2023 celebrations with a number of events, including its Festival of Light in several locations across Ireland, the new RTÉ documentary "Finding Brigid," and the traveling Peace Heroines exhibition.
Herstory Festival of Light 2023
Herstory's St. Brigid's Day Festival of Light will illuminate iconic landmarks across Ireland with beautiful art of Brigid and women from all walks of life.
The illuminations feature art from Herstory’s open call, inviting artists to be inspired by Brigid - goddess and saint - and the modern women who share her passions as environmentalist, feminist, Pride icon, healer, pioneer, human rights activist, goddess of the arts, alchemist, and wisdom weaver. Art was submitted from the island of Ireland and internationally from Iran, Kazakhstan, France, Brazil, Germany, and more.
The illuminations will be animated with live performances by fire-dancers, musicians, and storytellers. All events are free and open to the public. The full programme is available here on Herstory.ie.
This weekend #Herstory starts the national #StBrigidsDay #Imbolc celebrations with a spectacular Festival of Light across Ireland, illuminating iconic landmarks with beautiful art of Brigid and women from all walks of life. pic.twitter.com/lKIoBaoEU9
— HerstoryIreland (@HerstoryIreland) January 25, 2023
Herstory Festival of Light 2023 schedule
Galway City - Friday, January 27
- 5:30 - 7 pm: Lynch’s Castle
- 7:30 - 8:45 pm: St. Nicholas’ Church
- 9.00 -10 pm: Galway City Museum
- 10:30pm - 12:00 am: Pálás Cinema
The Galway light show is funded by Galway City Council Creative Ireland Programme, with curation by Herstory in partnership with Galway City Arts Office.
Roscommon - Saturday, January 28
Venue: National Famine Museum, Strokestown House
- 3 pm: Imbolc Visual Arts Exhibition opening
- 4 - 5:30 pm: Herstory Salon
- 5:30 - 9 pm: Herstory Light Show
- 6:30 pm: Shadow Puppet show
This event is one of many in Roscommon’s new Brigid’s Awakening Festival on January 28 - February 5. Roscommon is going for the world record for the biggest St. Brigid’s cross. Funded by Roscommon County Council Council Creative Ireland Programme.
Kildare - Tuesday, January 31 (St. Brigid's Eve)
- 5:30 - 10 pm: Potato Market Naas
- 5:30 - 6:30 pm: Wonderful Barn, Leixlip
- 7:30 - 8:30 pm: Maynooth Castle
- 10 - 11:30 pm: Athy Library
Kildare - Wednesday, February 1 (St. Brigid's Day)
- 5:30 - 9 pm: Potato Market Naas
The Herstory Light Show in Kildare is part of the fantastic Brigid 1500 Festival, funded by Kildare County Council Council Creative Ireland Programme.
Finding Brigid
Herstory's Melanie Lynch and Laura Murphy join "Derry Girls" star Siobhán McSweeney as she gathers a “mnásome” in a stone circle in Galway in her quest for the Real Brigid. Melanie and Laura candidly reveal their motivation behind the Herstory campaign and their mission to make St Brigid’s Day a national holiday.
Tune in to watch RTÉ’s epic new documentary "Finding Brigid" on Tuesday, January 31 on RTÉ One at 10:15 pm.
Good news for Siobhán McSweeney fans (which is basically all of us right?!)
As Ireland prepares to celebrate its first public holiday dedicated to a woman, @siobhni is going in search of the real Brigid for a new documentary on RTÉ One,#FindingBrigid. Airs Tuesday 31st January. pic.twitter.com/HGldHbSg0p
— RTÉ One (@RTEOne) January 19, 2023
Peace Heroines
In the healing spirit of Brigid, Herstory's new Peace Heroines exhibition is highlighting the pivotal role of women in the Northern Ireland peace process, as we build up to the 25th anniversary of the Good Friday Agreement on April 10, 2023. Their story is a key United Nations case study.
Finally, the peace women are getting the spotlight and recognition they deserve. As Head of NI Civil Service Jayne Brady said, "Your day in the sun is long overdue."
The Peace Heroines exhibition is on show at the Derry Tower Museum from January 13 - March 24. Internationally, the exhibition will be showcased at the Irish Embassy in London on St. Brigid's Day, February 1, and at US Congress on February 8 before it travels to the United Nations HQ in New York from March 27 - April 7.
#PeaceHeroines is now in Derry!
We were delighted to attend the launch at Derry Tower Museum today w/ some of the peace heroines ftd in the exhibition. Thank you to Derry Tower Museum for hosting it & to Below The Radar who’re filming a mini doc for the @bbc’s The One Show! pic.twitter.com/YdqlMM4XcT
— HerstoryIreland (@HerstoryIreland) January 13, 2023
The Real Brigid
Melanie Lynch, Founder of Herstory, says: “I’m a big fan of both the Goddess and Saint Brigid. The Goddess Brigid is a reawakening of ancient Ireland and an invitation to return to our ancestor’s deep reverence for nature and in the words of John Moriarty, 'remember how to walk beautifully on the earth again.'
“We love the Saint, as a true representation of the real Christianity: compassionate, kind, and a formidable activist for the poor, animals, and nature, long before the climate crisis. The fact that she was a bishop and co-founded a double monastery in Kildare where men and women practised equally, gives us key insight into the early Celtic Christian Church, which was evidently more advanced and progressive than today’s Roman Catholic Church. Monks recorded in the Annals that she shared her bed with a woman, her beloved Darlughdach, so it was wonderful to see her return as a Pride icon for the historic Marriage Equality Referendum.
"In many ways, Ireland is still catching up with the trailblazing Brigid.”
Herstory is every woman's story and we hope this landmark moment for Mná na hÉireann inspires our diaspora and other countries to join Ireland in celebrating women and girls as we work towards equality for all. On the first day of Spring let's come together in the spirit of the Celtic tradition to plant new seeds for our shared future and co-create a healthy Mother Earth.
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