Letters

Celebrating St Brigid’s Day

Traditions and history

Wed Feb 01 2023 - 00:02

Sir, – Happy St Brigid’s Day. As the former principal of a school for boys in Armagh named after her, I spoke at many school assemblies about her qualities and achievements. Her caring for others, her love of poetry, her generosity were met with mild interest by the students, and it was only when I mentioned that she turned milk into beer that instant total attention was focused on my words. – Yours, etc,

ENDA CULLEN,

Armagh.

A chara, – In response to Ciarán Mac Guill’s letter (January 30th), while few would disagree that St Brigid’s Day ought to be spared some of the tacky reductionism surrounding Saint Patrick’s Day, I disagree that it has fallen prey to “wokism, paganism, pseudo-history and political opportunism”. Until now, St Brigid’s Day was hardly an “authentic community celebration”, where, aside from a nominal mention at Mass for the few who still attend, it had all but lapsed into the annals of history.

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Since the new public holiday celebrates both the Christian Saint Brigid and the Celtic deity Brigid, it indeed presents an opportunity to learn about the paganist traditions of our pre-Christian past, and I fail to see that as a negative. Despite the popular belief that Saint Brigid played a role in expanding Christianity in fifth-century Ireland, the few historical sources available point to her existence as questionable at best. And although neglected for centuries to the preference of the Christian saint, Brigid’s significance as a Celtic deity is undeniable. Any argument that celebrating both the saint and the goddess amounts to “cultural appropriation” of the former is misplaced and disregards a significant part of the history of this island and its peoples. – Yours, etc,

CHARLOTTE ASHMORE,

Lattin,

Co Tipperary.