Brigid of Faughart Festival 2024 (and Lucky Mael Brigde Gets to Go!)

 

I am very happy to be returning to Ireland next month to participate in the Brigid of Faughart festival. I've never had the chance to go to a Brigit festival before, and to get to celebrate her with others on the 1500th anniversary of St. Brigit’s death is very special. Thank you so much to Dolores Whelan for inviting me.

Here is a little snippet about the festival:

From Brigid of Faughart, Facebook page

11h  · Dundalk, Ireland  · 
The 2024 Brigid of Faughart Festival will run from Thursday 1st February, Brigid's Day, until Monday 5th February-the new Irish Bank Holiday in Honour of St.Brigid. In this special year marking the 1500th anniversary of her death, the festival will celebrate with a range of wonderful events including Wisdom Talks with authors Dolores Whelan and Manchan Magan, Canadian Poet and author Mael Brigde, Cross & Crios Making, My Brat Bhride Project, Pilgrimage, Tours at Faughart, Ritual and Poetry. A new Brigid poem has been commissioned from poet Siobhan Mac Mahon which will appear on a building in Dundalk during the festival! Full programme and booking details will be available in early January. A very Happy and peaceful Christmas to all our friends from the festival team.
— St Brigid's Shrine

Help Keep Brigid's Way Celtic Pilgrimage Alive

 

Well, I completely missed this one. From their Facebook Page: 

 "The Brigid's Way volunteer firekeepers need your help. We have a few projects underway to make the route more accessible at all times. Can you help keep Brigid's Way Celtic Pilgrimage alive by adding a donation to the pot? Could you be a 'Weaver of the Way'?"

What is Brigid's Way, you ask?

"The Brigid's Way Pilgrimage follows the ancient path of Brigid, Goddess and Celtic Christian saint from Faughart, Louth via the Hill of Slane, the Hill of Tara, Donadea Forest Park and along the Grand Canal to her monastic city in Kildare. 

"This 9 day walking pilgrimage winds its way through many sacred places and magical landscapes from Brigid's Well and Shrine in Faughart, County Louth to Brigid's monastic city in County Kildare. For details of the next full 9 day Pilgrimage go to www.brigidsway.ie 

"We have some great ideas up our sleeves about how to make the Brigid’s Way pilgrimage accessible to everyone to complete anytime of the year.

"To get these ideas off the ground we need your help so we a kindly asking you to donate a few bob for Brigid."

You may find more info at their linktree

And here is their PayPal account link.

All images: from Brigid's Way.

 

 

Pilgrim Walks, Ireland, 4 April 2015--Get Ready to Commune!

Thanks to RTÉ The History Show for giving me the headsup on the upcoming Pilgrim Walks that will be taking place around Ireland this Easter weekend. They traditionally went from monastery to monastery but things have changed a tad from the middle ages. Featured below is the St Brigid Walk.

Brigid’s Way – Pilgrim Paths Day Event – Saturday April 4th 2015

St. Brigid in Kildare  – Brigid’s Way Celtic Pilgrimage’s final day route.

Overview: Brigid’s Way Celtic Pilgrimage has recently become the 13^th National Pilgrim Path in Ireland, the first female Irish Saint to be so honoured. On Pilgrim Paths’ Day, we walk the route of the final day of this 9 day pilgrimage (which charts St Brigid’s journey from her birthplace & Shrine in Faughart, County Louth to her Abbey, Healing & Garden Wells in Kildare). We will start at Pollardstown Fen (pictured) in Kildare along the boardwalk of this picturesque hidden local treasure, then continue through country lanes to the magnificent Curragh & into the heart of Kildare Town to St. Brigid’s sacred sites including her Fire Temple in the grounds of the Cathedral, both her wells and finally new Solas Bhríde Centre (pictured below) for their welcome hospitality. Come to walk in the glorious Kildare countryside, meet new people and honour and receive the blessings of St. Brigid.

Suitability: This easy walk follows the wooden boardwalk of Pollardstown Fen, small country lanes (paved minor roads), the grassy Curragh terrain, footpaths around Kildare Town and St Brigid’s Fire Temple and Wells, which also have grassy sections. Please bring suitable walking shoes or boots, water, snacks/lunch, sun screen or weather gear (please check the local forecast).

Highlights:

•     Pollardstown Fen
•     The Curragh
•     Kildare Town
•     Solas Bhride Centre and Hermitages

There will be (optional) opportunities for guided or private prayer at:

•     Rathbride, St Brigid’s Healing Stone at the edge of The Curragh
•     St Brigid’s Fire Temple, in the grounds of her cathedral in Kildare Town
•     St Brigid’s Healing Well, close to the National Stud
•     St Brigid’s Healing Stream

Distance: 13 kms, 8 miles.  Approx 3 hours.

Time:    Meeting at 9:30am for bus to start point.

Meeting Place: Park & meet at the Solas Bhríde Centre car park, Tully Road, Kildare at  9.30am sharp (for more information about the start/end point see http://solasbhride.ie/). We’ll take a hired bus to the start point together. Note: You must register in advance for a place on the bus by emailing info@brigidsway.ie.

Cost: €5.   We also invite you to make a donation to the new Solas Bhríde Centre & Hermitages during your visit.

Organised By: The Brigid’s Way Celtic Pilgrimage team and Solas Bhríde team, Kildare.

For more information and to book a place on the bus, please email: info@brigidsway.ie.

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Tagged with: 2015, Brigid's Way, Pilgrim Paths Day
Posted in: What's On 

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St. Kevin´s Road to Glendalough – Pilgrim Paths Day – Sat. April 4th 2015 →

Brigid's Way Celtic Pilgrimage -- 7-16 July 2013

Brigid's Way walk will take pilgrims to a number of sacred sites many of which are linked directly to St Brigit.

Led by Delores Whelan and Karen Ward.

info@brigidsway.ie

Seeking Brigid: Sacred Well, Holy Flame -- Pilgrimage

The Sisterhood of Avalon has chosen Erynn Rowan Laurie as feature presenter at this year's pilgrimage to Ireland. Erynn is an original member of the Daughters of the Flame, and has been serving Brigit for many years. How I would love to accompany her and the Sisters on this journey!

From the blurb for the pilgrimage: she "is a poet and writer and one of the many founders of the Celtic Reconstructionist Pagan path. She has been keeping Brigid’s flame with the Daughters of the Flame since 1993 and is working on a book on Brigid and flamekeeping. Her particular interests are filidecht, the sacred poetic tradition of Gaelic Ireland, and the sacred madness of the geilta, figures like Myrddin, Muirgeilt, Mís, Lailoken, and Suibhne Geilt.

"Erynn’s books include A Circle of Stones: Journeys & Meditations for Modern Celts, Ogam: Weaving Word Wisdom, and contributions to a number of other publications, including a paper on the geilta and PTSD in the academic anthology Disability and Religious Diversity: Cross-Cultural and Interreligious Perspectives. Her first poetry collection, Fireflies at Absolute Zero, is due out from Hiraeth Press in October, 2012. " (For more of Erynn's writing follow this link.)

Seeking Brigid: Sacred Well, Holy Flame
Pilgrimage to Ireland, 2012
July 11-18, 2012

Join author and poet Erynn Rowan Laurie and the Sisterhood of Avalon for a seven day pilgrimage to Ireland, exploring our connections with the Goddess Brigid, patron of poetry, smith craft, and healing. With the breathtaking landscape of Ireland as our backdrop, our time together will be spent engaged in conscious sight-seeing, scholastic inquiry, and spiritual exploration inspired by Gaelic tradition. All over 18 are welcome. Only 12 openings are available.

"I hope you'll join me as we explore Ireland and our relationships with Brigid this summer!"

http://www.seanet. com/~inisglas/ pilgrimage- 2012-FINAL.pdf

The link will download a PDF file of the information packet.

Please spread the info far and wide!