Pause For Peace Taking Place At Noon To Honour St.Brigid Of Kildare

Wednesday, 1 February 2023 10:44

By Caoimhe Harney

File image: Jim Dempsey/Megalithic Ireland

Kfm will hold a minute's silence at 12 noon

The first day of February marks St Brigid's day, the first day of Spring and the beginning of the ancient Celtic festival of Imbolg.

Kfm will speak to Sr. Rita Meenihan of the Brigidine Sisters in Kildare Town at 11.50am today, and then at 12 noon a Pause For Peace will take place on air.

St Brigid of Kildare or Brigid of Ireland (c. 451-525) is one of Ireland’s patron saints along with Saints Patrick and Colm Cille.

However this year, there is another first; the first public holiday dedicated to St Brigid will take place next Monday, 6 February.

This has driven a renewed interest in who Brigid was and where she came from, and the folklore that surrounds Brigid the saint and Brigid the ancient Celtic goddess.

County Kildare in particular, claims great connections to her and have already started their celebrations.

Legends portrayed the Christian saint as a formidable woman with the power to influence kings, and worshippers prayed to her to intercede on their behalf with God. Until the mid-20th century, Brigid was one the most popular names for Catholic girls, such was her status.

St Brigid’s Crosses

The St. Brigid's Day is an emblematic shape made usually from rushes, always to be pulled, never cut.

The real St Brigid of Kildare was said to have explained the concept of Christianity to an Irish king by taking rushes from his floor and weaving a cross

The cross is an ancient design of simple beauty: easy and fast to create, a characteristic that makes for a popular project for Irish primary school children.

Find out how to make a St.Brigid's Cross click here.

On Wednesday, 1st February the events taking place in Kildare;