The Guide
Sara Keating: Brigid brings stories of the power of women into the light
Brigid’s name will now mark a new bank holiday and with that it’s worth reflecting on the legends of both the Christian and pagan goddess Brigid and their enduring relevance
“Now at spring’s awakening, dark days are lengthening, and after St Brigid’s Day, I’ll raise my sail,” the poem Mise Raifteirí an File goes. It was written by Antoine Ó Raifteirí, the itinerant poet who recorded the songs and stories of the people of the west of Ireland in their native tongue during the early 1800s. For the rural communities Ó Raifteirí lived among, St Brigid’s Day on February 1, marked the passing of winter ...