#Brigid #SaintBrigit #Brigid1500 #NiamhWycherley #PaganSky

Excellent night at #Rathangan Local History Group rounding up the successes (and disappointments) of #Brigid1500 commemoration, how a year of events has impacted narrative & relevance, my presentation led to a lively discussion

As #Brigid1500 comes to an end, a year commemorating the most influential Irishwoman of them all , I will be talking in #Rathangan tonight about Brigit the person & her times, the international footprint she created and how the anniversary has changed modern perceptions of her

White poster on a red background. The poster has an image of the cover of the new anthology "Fire: Brigid & The Sacred Feminine." Editors Shauna Gillian & Niamh Boyce. The cover image, an artwork by Noël O'Callaghan, is a drawing of a naked woman standing proudly with a green snake in her hands, wrapped back around her shoulders. The woman is in her natural state with underarm & pubic hair. Underneath the poster, on the red background is the invitation text: "Publication & launch, Thursday 26th 6.45pm, Naas Library & Cultural Centre. All Welcome." The Brigid 1500 logo of a flame containing a Brigid's cross is to the left of the poster, & the logo for publisher, Arlen House, is on the right.

💚 Such a joy, & deep honour to have my poem "Feabhra" nestled in amongst all the treasures in "Fire: Brigid & the Sacred Feminine". @ShaunaGilligan1 & @NiamhBoyce have poured so much love & dedication into bringing this special anthology to life. Published by @ArlenHouse
#Fire 🔥 #Brigid1500

We also got to visit two holy Wells associated with #SaintBrigid. This first well, the Wayside Well, may be the original holy well dedicated to St Brigid according to historical documentation, but local devotion supports the second well as the original instead. #brigid1500 #medievalsky #KildareCoCo

St Brigid's Parish Catholic Church houses a relic of #SaintBrigid, part of her skull, in a reliquary shaped as an Oak tree which was also intentially designed to cast a shadow to convey Jesus' crown of thorns. #brigid1500 #medievalsky #KildareCoCo #KildareHistoricWalkingTours #visitKildare

The roundtower at St Brigid's cathedral, which may have functioned as a bell tower & beacon for those on pilgrimage to #Kildare. The bell was situated lower down in the tower & the sound reverberated upwards & out through the four windows facing the four directions #brigid1500 #KildareCoCo

The stunning exterior and interior of St Brigid's Cathdral.
Thank you #KildareCoCo and @maynoothuni.bsky.social for arranging the excursion here with #KildareHistoricWalkingTours for #brigid1500. #medievalsky

More tour highlights: This damaged stone cross is one of the oldest relics at St Brigid's cathedral, the fire temple where 19 nuns kept the fire burning for St Brigid & Brigid herself tended the fire on the 20th night, & the outline of the original entrance to the cathedral #brigid1500 #KildareCoCo

A holy hole in the wall!
If you can fit your arm through this hole in the wall of St Brigid's cathedral and touch your heart with your hand, then you can make a wish and it will be granted!
Here's our tour guide Joe of #Kildare #HistoricWalkingTours demonstrating for #brigid1500. #kildarecoco

Sincere thanks to the staff of the Firecastle Cafe in #Kildare for providing the lovely refreshments at St Brigid's cathedral for Brigid's Worlds conference excursion. The soup was absolutely delicious, and the sandwich selection was great! #medievalsky #brigid1500 #visitKildare #KildareCoco

Here's a close-up of the intricate mosaic of Saint Brigid's cross outside #Kildare Heritage Centre that we saw during the #HistoricWalkingTour organised by #KildareCoco and @maynoothuni.bsky.social for the end of #brigid1500 #medievalsky

The wonderful Brigid's Worlds conference excursion commenced at the Kildare Heritage Centre by the statue of William Squires Gannon, the captain of the 1928 Kildare's Football team who last held the Sam Maguire cup, and the beautiful Brigid mural in the background #brigid1500 #KildareCoco

Seamus, the steadfast & stealthy guardian of Maynooth Library, congratulates the phenomenal & indefatigable Brigid's World conference team after a wonderful 2 days @maynoothuni.bsky.social with Kildare County Council. Well done all & thank you for your patient & prompt help throughout #brigid1500.

Wonderful conference in honour of Saint Brigid. Thank you to #KildareCountyCouncil & @niamhwycherley.bsky.social @maynoothuni.bsky.social for their hard work in organising such a fantastic event & to all the scholars who so generously shared their expertise over the 2 days #brigid1500 #medievalsky

Closing talk by @niamhwycherley.bsky.social for #brigid1500 summarising the fascinating insights & conclusions from all the talks on Brigid as a saint, a goddess, and a real woman & on #medievalireland in general @maynoothuni.bsky.social #medievalsky

Sharon Greene brings an archaeological perspective to the Brigid's World conference and explores the 'Traces of Brigid's material world' #brigid1500 #medievalarchaeology #medievalsky

Tiago Veloso Silvia Early Irish @maynoothuni.bsky.social giving the #brigid1500 delegates an overview of the fothairt abbesses of Kildare in his paper ‘Women’s ecclesiastical patronage: the case of Kildare’ at the Brigid's Worlds conference #medievalsky

@dhaydenceltic.bsky.social of the Early Irish department @maynoothuni.bsky.social opening the last session of the final day of Brigid's World conference #brigid1500 #medievalsky

Pádraig Ó Riain on references to Saint Brigid and miracles associated with her in historical martyrologies in his presentation: 'From the continent to Ireland: the written record of Brigid's feast day' at the Brigid's Worlds conference #brigid1500 #medievalsky

Jean-Michel Picard concluded with an example of how Saint Brigid is still venerated in continental Europe today #brigid1500 #medievalsky

Jean-Michel Picard at the Brigid's Worlds conference discusses the tale of Brigid & the pack of wolves that herded & guided a drove of pigs back to their owner in his talk: 'The cult of Saint Brigid in continental Europe and the manuscripts of Cogitosus's "Vita Brigitae"' #brigid1500 #medievalsky

Thomas Owen Clancy at the Brigid's Worlds conference on 'St Brigid and her cult in early medieval Scotland'. Here, he explores the placenames possibly connected with Brigid, such as Kilbride, and Kirkbride #brigid1500 #medievalsky

Prof. Katherine Forsyth of University of Glasgow and the #OG_H_AM project chairing the first session for day two of the Brigid's World's conference in the beautiful Renehan Hall @maynoothuni.bsky.social #brigid1500 #medievalsky

Prof. Catherine McKenna presents an overview of what is known and unknown about St. Brigid to the Brigid's Worlds delegates, referencing the two early Latin lives about Brigid as well as the beautiful Ultán's Hymn #brigid1500 #medievalsky

Opening welcome address by the Mayor of Kildare, Joe Neville, and Alison Hood, the Dean of Arts, Celtic Studies and Philosophy @maynoothuni.bsky.social, for this evening's public lecture by Prof. Catherine McKenna on 'Brigid: The Knowns and the Unknowns' @brigid1500 #brigid1500 #medievalsky

The model of the Donaghmore ogham stone on display in the Iontas building @maynoothuni.bsky.social for the official launch of the #OG_H_AM project @EarlyIrishMU and @UofGlasgow #brigid1500. @davidstifter.bsky.social @ndefaoite.bsky.social @dhaydenceltic.bsky.social @3dgroovanstones.bsky.social

Fabio Mantegazza on 'The textual transmission of Cogitosus's "Vita sanctae Brigidae" through the names of Brigid's parents' at day one of the Brigid's Worlds conference @maynoothuni.bsky.social #brigid1500 #medievalsky

Elizabeth Dawson of Carlow College, St Patrick's at the Brigid's Worlds conference on the importance of saints and how they are understood within the context of their locality in 'The changing fortunes of St Brigid: navigating Uí Neill Territory, Leinster and Kildare'. #brigid1500 #medievalsky

Day one of Brigid' World's conference also included a lovely lunch at Pugin Hall and some wonderful tours of the Russel Library @SCA_MULibrary (on X) and the Museum of Eccesiology, St Patrick's Maynooth @maynoothuni.bsky.social #brigid1500 #medievalsky