Looking Back 2013 – Solas Bhride enters House of Records

 Solas Bhride is celebrating its entry into the Guinness Book of World Records. On 21 September 2013 they invited locals, tourists, and pilgrims into Saint Brigid's Church in Kildare for a mass weaving of Saint Brigid's crosses. The result: 357 crosses! The reason?

"... St Brigid’s Cross is a universally recognized symbol and the weaving of a St Brigid’s cross is an ancient Irish custom. Its origin may have begun as a pre-Christian symbol, was then assimilated into Christianity and has resonance with other cross types in many cultures around the world. It was thought that setting a World Record would further enhance the continuity of this custom of weaving the St Brigid’s Cross."

For the full article, click here.

Image: from Solas Bhride.

Sister Phil on Saint Brigid's Cross (Solas Bhride)

Thin Places

Published on 1 Feb 2018

Making Brigit's Cross with Young Caítlín

Caítlín shows beautifully how to gather your rushes, make, and trim your cross. (All to the tune of a penny whistle.)

There are gadjillions of videos on YouTube demonstrating how to make Brigit's cross, including this silent one by a faceless expert, and this by Una Casey of Faughart. (See previous post.) But despite the odd technical difficulty, I rather like this one.

(Click here to watch on YouTube.)

Brigit's Birthplace: RTÉ Documentary on Faughart, Ireland

From Geolocation

At St. Brigit's Shrine in Faughart, Co. Louth, pilgrims have long come to pray the stations and tie up offerings of cloth in order to leave their troubles behind them. Blathnaid Ní Chofaigh of RTÉ explores the area to learn more about St. Brigit and her cult.

From Brigit of Faughart Festival

An impressive moment in the film is watching local woman, Una Casey, making a rush cross while chatting with Blathnaid--one strong enough to kick to Dundalk without it coming apart.

Cross Making with Una Casey in the County Library

Una has been making Brigit's crosses since childhood, and gives workshops in the craft, above at the County Library, and also at the Brigit of Faughart Festival.

(Click here to watch on YouTube.)

RTÉ Ireland's National Television and Radio Broadcaster (2011)

OK, This is Just Plain Weird: Post-Apocalyptic Brigit?

I won't even begin to address the "all things fire and warfare" bit. I hesitate to post this but if I can tell you about Brigit socks, surely I can't hold this one back... I haven't read it, so I can't say if it satisfies all its claims. If you read it, let us know!

Brighid's Cross, by Cate Morgan

One woman with a job to do. One gorgeous hacker with a plan. One apocalypse. Any questions?

Aika Lareto is a descendent of St. Brighid in her incarnation of all things fire and warfare in a time when heroes were revered as gods. In 2025, this means Aika is hunted by all things demon and government. All she wants is to get on with her work as guardian of the dregs scraping out a fringe existence in London’s blitzed underground—the lost, forgotten and the just plain ignored.

Declan Pryce is the hacker who finds her first. Quite a feat, considering current ruling government conglomerate Dreamtech has issued a bounty on Aika’s head for her ability to bypass their security systems.

When she escapes Dreamtech’s net, the vote is unanimous—Aika is a liability in need of immediate resolution—dead or alive is entirely her choice.

No choice, really. She’ll take death over disloyalty every time. Declan has a plan that doesn’t include falling for an impossible woman in an impossible situation. She has plans of her own that don’t leave room for a love life.

If they’re incredibly lucky, it just might work.

Product Warnings

Contains a hot hacker with a penchant for redheads, battles with demons, a little light torture, explosions and a heroine willing to do whatever it takes to do her job.