Wednesday, September 22, 2021

Book: The Brigidine Sisters in Ireland...

 



Look what landed in my mailbox yesterday.


The Brigidine Sisters in Ireland, America, Australia and New Zealand, 1807–1922, by Ann Powers (Four Courts Press, 2018) fresh from the Ballyroan Library. Well, not quite fresh. I bought it on eBay.

 

From the publisher's site:


The history of the Brigidines, formally known as the Sisters of St Brigid, provides a detailed and fascinating account of the congregation and its mission to the rural communities of Ireland, America, Australia and New Zealand. It compares the religious order to similar female congregations, and throws new light on Bishop Daniel Delany of Kildare and Leighlin who founded the Brigidines in 1807. His motto – strength and gentleness – became the hallmark of Brigidine practice and service.


The book highlights the lives, courage and spirit of adventure of many sisters, the hardships they endured, hidden from the public eye, and their significant achievements in education. It contributes not only to a greater understanding of the religious life but also is an appreciation of the role and adaptability of female religious in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. It also contains a prosopography of around 700 nuns (1807–1922).


Ann Power holds a PhD in history from Trinity College Dublin, and a BA and an MA from Carlow College, St Patrick’s.



Image: unclear photo of book titled as above, with blurry humans seated on benches among trees.

 

Thursday, September 09, 2021

Upcoming Anthology: Brigid's Light - Tending the Ancestral Flame of the Beloved Celtic Goddess

 

Art by Stuart Littlejohn

An interesting new project is coming to light, an anthology of Brigit writings taken from outside her traditional homelands. It is the brainchild of Cairelle Crow and Laura Louella of the Sanctuary of Brigid.

It's an unusual idea, which began with the intention of exploring Brigit in the lives of the "Celtic" diaspora, and has evolved to include those with no ethnic or cultural connection to Brigit, but who have met and loved her through others. I am pleased to report that I have two poems in it, having caught wind of the submissions call just before the closing date. I haven't seen the manuscript, nor do I know whose work is included, but I am looking forward to exploring this offering when the time comes.

Brigid's Light: Tending the Ancestral Flame of the Beloved Celtic Goddess by Cairelle Crow (Editor), Laura Louella (Editor), and Judika Illes (Foreword). Release date: 1 March 2022. Pre-Order: here

Stories, spells, rituals, and recipes celebrating the worldwide influence of this beloved Celtic goddess, with contributions from Amy Blackthorn, Laura Tempest Zakroff, Courtney Weber, and many others


This anthology celebrates Brigid, an ancient and mysterious Celtic spirit who ranks among today’s most popular modern goddesses. Venerated in many forms including as a saint and a goddess, Brigid has traveled the globe alongside the Celtic diaspora. Once a goddess with a narrow territory, she is now an internationally beloved presence. While acknowledging her origins, this book also explores Brigid from the perspective of those outside her original Celtic homeland.

Editors Cairelle Crow and Laura Louella have gathered art, poetry, stories, spells, rituals, recipes, and traditions as an homage to the worldwide influence of Brigid’s magic and lore, especially among the descendants of immigrants to the Americas. In compiling these individual works, Cairelle and Laura have given voice to those traveling ancestors by showcasing a rich and beautiful heritage manifested through embodiments of devotion by their descendants, as well as others touched by Brigid.



Saturday, September 04, 2021

Elaine Ní Chiardha's "Brigid of the Flame"














 Elaine Ní Chiardha of Singing the Land has a beautiful song to Brigit, called "Brigid of the Flame." You can listen to the full version on YouTube or learn the chant derived from it on SoundCloud.

If you would like to learn more about Elaine and "Songs for St. Brigid and St. Patrick," listen to her interview with Amy Panetta on The Celtic Feminine Podcast.



Image: "Tara Hill, Tarahill, County Wexford, Ireland" by James Butterly (@jamesbutterly) on Unsplash.