What does it mean to be an Irish woman? Our community responds ahead of Brigid's Day

Ahead of the feast day of Ireland's female patron saint, Brigid, IrishCentral and Herstory share the responses to their survey "What does it mean to be an Irish woman?"

In honor of Brigid's Day, Feb 1, IrishCentral and Herstory asked the world "What it means to be an Irish woman?" and the results of our survey were beautiful and surprising.

We wanted to reach out to women on the island of Ireland and the Irish diaspora at large to find out what makes the venerable Irish woman tick. We asked them about their influences, life lessons, and how they feel connected to the island of Ireland.

The IrishCentral and Herstory survey had responses from all over the United States, and from Australia, Canada, Ireland, and the United Kingdom. 

In the run of up to St. Brigid's Day, we will share some of the Irish community's responses to our questions and this is the first...

"What does it mean to you to be an Irish woman?"

"Very lucky and grateful.  Happy to have a sense of humor and insight into the world."

 "It means to be strong in adversity. To take things as they come and deal with them  And to trust in God when I have done my part. 

"Everything!  It defines me, my values and my view of the world."

"Sassy, mysterious, loving, compassionate, sexy, strong, beautiful in all ways, does it trust easily, hard worker."

"I'm Irish through and through. No matter that I have spent over half my life living outside of Ireland, it is always my point of reference. I have missed visiting over the last two years. I need to reconnect with my homeland."

"To be strong in the face of troubles. To protect snd love deeply your family and yet retain your independence and be able to walk away from any situation n start again. To be powerful and not afraid to speak your mind... To be a great storyteller To never forget a hurt or wrongdoing. To love beauty to the point of tears. To walk in the rain n love it  To love animals. To still believe magic is real and pray has power. To be able to be alone."

"We are true to our family and friends, we show our heart on our sleeve.  We are honest and feisty and tell our feelings straight from our hearts.  We are loyal and we love life."

"As an Irish woman, living in Manchester for 40 years, my Irishness means a great deal to me. It is part of my identity. I have straddled two cultures for four decades and will continue to do so, God willing. I love being an Irish woman. Still feel connected to family, friends, and birthplace in Athlone."

"Strong, a survivor, family love, educated,  connection to Ireland."

"I love the spiritual connection and the folklore that was handed down to me. I know the inner strength of those with Irish blood and how they know no stranger!"

"It means standing on the shoulders of countless women whose role in history has been erased. I'm single at 34, childless and a homeowner - couldn't have been all this in past decades. It means I still face stereotypes and misogyny but the unity of the Irish feminist sisterhood is a fabulous support and I never feel alone in my fight for equality."