Events across Athy will celebrate St Brigid

Athy is set to celebrate the legacy and impact of St Brigid with a varied programme of events over the coming days.

One of the highlights is pencilled in for Sunday, January 26 in the Dreamland Ballroom, a storied venue that will welcome leading Irish artists including Bob Geldof, Robert Grace, Danny O’Reilly, Jack L and more for the sold-out show ‘He For She: An Evening For Equality’.

Presented by Hot Press and Kildare County Council and running as part of the Brigid, Spirit of Kildare festival of events, the concert will add a new dimension to the Brigid’s Day proceedings in which men share the festival, and its core message, of female empowerment.

On Tuesday, January 28, Athy Library will celebrate St Brigid’s Day with an unforgettable evening of songs, stories and reflections from Edel Meade. The award-winning performing artist from Tipperary will present a rich tapestry of music and anecdotes to honour Brigid, Gobnait and Sheela-na-gig. This event is supported by Kildare County Council under the Brigid, Spirit of Kildare programme.

“It’s great to see the wide variety of fantastic, creative events being planned, around Kildare and Athy, to celebrate Brigid this year,” said Cllr Aoife Breslin, Cathaoirleach of Athy Municipal District and Chair of Athy Town Promoters. “Last year the county and country marked Brigid 1500, the 1,500th anniversary of her death, and the celebrations and commemorations will continue with great gusto in 2025.”

Tradition holds that St. Brigid, who was born around 453 A.D. and died in 524, was born in Ummeras (not far from Kildare town) and established a double monastery for women and men in Kildare around 480 A.D.

Her feast day marks the traditional beginning of Spring in Ireland according to the Celtic calendar. 1st February was originally celebrated as a pagan festival called Imbolc.

From Saturday 1 – Monday February 3, Athy’s Art House at 42a Leinster Street will host an exhibition and a series of talks and workshops, organised by artists Anthony Haughey and Cathy Callan. Cllr Breslin, drawing on her own family history, will give a talk on inspirational women in our lives, local archaeologist and historian Dr Sharon Greene will speak about portrait artist Kathleen Shackleton, while the artist and calligrapher Josephine Hardiman will reveal what went into the creation of ‘The Book of Kildare’.

Monday, 3 February, will see the return of the popular ‘Cloak on the Moat’, a celebration of St Brigid through music, song, dance and folklore at the Moat of Ardscull just outside Athy. This free, family event will feature the Village Voices community choir, guest artists Joseph Gorman, Kevin Morrin, Margaret Brennan and Paul Linehan, local historian Colm Flynn will regale with tales of folklore, alongside entertainment from and performances by Athy Comhaltas Ceoltoiri Éireann, the St Laurence’s Set Dancers and the Kilmead Irish Figure Dancers.

There will also be a prize for the best dressed St Brigid!

And the festivities don’t end there – come along to an evening of poetry and storytelling on Thursday, February 6 at O’Brien’s of Emily Square. What promises to be a wonderful event will feature Siobhan McMahon, Sean Clancy, Liam Regan, Stiofán Cullen and Michelle Quirke, from 7.30pm.

Meanwhile, preparations are also underway in Athy to celebrate another famed patron saint on March 17.

St Patrick’s Day is always a highlight of Athy’s calendar, with thousands of people lining the streets every year to watch local groups and clubs, vehicles and floats march through the town. Athy Town Promoters has revealed that the theme for this year’s parade is ‘Pulling Together’, so get your thinking caps on!