Brigid means different things to different people and is celebrated as both Goddess and Christian saint. Traditionally associated with fire, she has become a powerful symbol of female endurance and women’s empowerment in Ireland.
Purpose of our project
The purpose of the project is to recognise women throughout 2024 whilst commemorating 1500 years since the death of our matron saint, Brigid of Kildare. The books will be gifted to 100 inspiring women or institutions who have campaigned for women’s rights or support women in their communities in Ireland and worldwide.
Our intention is to celebrate the role of women in various aspects of life through Brigid. As patron of poets & printers, this collection of illustrated poems, celebrates Brigid as the female force in ordinary lives, in our past and living present.
Letterpress printing has a strong connection with women’s activism historically, we intend to spread the voice of Brigid and women by reconnecting the public with this age-old art.
Background & Inspiration
This book was inspired by the project War Widows and the exhibition Ag Fanacht (Waiting) by Angelina Foster and by how few records exist of women’s stories through the centuries.
While we might tend to have an image of early Christian writers as men and monks, it is worth remembering that saints like St Brigid wrote some of the first illuminated books in Ireland in her gender-balanced abbey where monks and nuns lived and worked side by side. St Brigid wrote and made her mark in her centre of arts at the Church of the Oak monastery in Kildare
Processes
We aligned the book’s “front matter” with Celtic rituals to honour our Indigenous past by renaming the introduction as Intention and acknowledgements as Gratitude.
Setting Intentions for Imbolc or St Brigid’s Day is still practised today, whilst Gratitude associated with Lughnasa and Autumn equinox is a time for reflection and giving thanks to the Earth and our families. The oak leaf (associated with Brigid floats throughout the book from the cover to the end as Brigid walks away.
Poems were selected from an open call in 2023; 160 entries were received from all over the world with 24 English language and 4 Irish language chosen for the final edit. With no fadas on English language type, the Irish language poems presented an added challenge as they could not be typeset, however, we were determined to find a way to print Brigid’s native tongue.
This edition was set by hand and printed by Emily Rainsford & Angelina Foster on an Adana letterpress in Blueway Art Studio in the small sustainable village of Narraghmore, Co Kildare, Ireland.
The English text was composed in 14 pt Caslon LF; the Irish language text was screen-printed in 12 pt Caslon font. We wanted the book to be bright and colourful. Seven invited artists added their diverse interpretations through drawing, mark-making and collage using true grain drafting film with lithography crayon and tusches. Illustrations were screen-printed by hand with sustainable Lascaux Gouache & printed on 160g Madrid Litho paper.
To connect with Brigid’s era and include elements of Weave, bindings were done with Coptic stitch using French linen thread. We acknowledged St Brigid’s ancestral roots by using foraged heather from peatlands in Co. Kildare, to dye Irish linen for a Brat Bhríde in each book. The archetypal Weaver is the maker of opportunity, the weaver of fate with the weaver’s distaff a symbol of power. Women as weavers of community, weave intentions and fate.
2024 marks the centenary of the death of St Brigid in Kildare, Ireland.Brigid 1500 is a programme of events to celebrate and commemorate St. Brigid of Kildare the woman, the life and the legacy in a broad, rich way.
Nominations are still open
Nominations are open until mid-October for the next release of books via the link below, and nominations remain open until all the remaining books find homes by 1st February 2025:
The Launch
A Little Book of Brigid was launched in Narraghmmore village on Saturday 13th of April. The first 10 books were presented to inspiring women, nominated by their communities, including our First Lady, Sabina Higgins. We are grateful for the support we received from the entire village to make our launch so special. The launch was sponsored by The Old Hardware, Kildare Credit Union and Mel’s of Narraghmore (who provided divine refreshments).
The 10 recipients gifted A Little Book of Brigid in recognition of their work for women in their communities were:
Sabina Higgins, Sr Consilio, Alva Fitzgerald, Athy Sing & Sign, Cathy Fitzgerald, Sr Ann Scully, Sonya Kavanagh, Joan Martin, Erin Darcy, Celine Broughal.
Several invited recipients were unable to attend, they will receive their books in the coming weeks and include:
Mary McAleese, Aideen Barry, Laura Murphy, Jessie Lendennie, Bríd Brophy, Muslim sisters of Éire and Solas Bhríde.
We will post more information about all these inspiring women and why they were nominated in the next few days.
Project Program with biographies of all writers & artists
The writers with poems selected for publication in Brigid’s Book are:
Ailish de Búrca, Autumn Newman, Liam Regan, Anne Casey, Michael Farrell, Patrick OSullivan, Chris Jones, Lisa Gannon, Lauren Lawler, Dee McKiernan, Caroline Bracken, Dylan Brennan, J.D.Luttrell, Bernadette Gallagher, Siobhán Mac Mahon, Mary Burke, Séighin Ó Ceallaigh, Martina Kearney, M.A. Waskow, Neville Sexton, Aisling Ní Choibheanaigh Nic Eoin, Erin Darcy, Lara Coady, Mary Mc Carthy, Máire Sinclair, Mae Leonard, Dolores Martin, Éire Ní Fhaoláin
We are honoured to include the following artists who have helped illustrate the book, making it truly special!
Clare Hartigan, Lucina Russell, Claire Murphy, Rachel Fountain, Pamela de Brí, Ciara O’Keeffe & Ann McKenna.
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We are very grateful to our funders Brigid 1500 and Kildare County Council, Kildare Arts Office, Kildare Credit Union, The Old Hardware, Mel’s of Narraghmore and Culture Ireland.
