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A visit to one of our four Museum sites in Dublin and Mayo is a must to learn and discover more about the history and traditions associated with Brigid - the ancient goddess of Imbolc and the Christian patron saint of Ireland.

From shoe shrines to straw crosses, we have a full and varied programme of workshops, drop-in sessions and tours showcasing the many artefacts, traditions and rituals associated with and dedicated to St Brigid.

Here is our top ten activities for you and your family to enjoy in the lead up to St Brigid's Day. Admission is free and no booking is required.

To read more, visit our webpage St Brigid's Day Traditions.

2pm and 3pm, Saturday and Sunday, 3 and 4 February. All ages
National Museum of Ireland - Country Life, Turlough Park, Castlebar, Co Mayo

There will be free guided tours of the Irish Folklife Collection at 2pm and 3pm on Saturday and Sunday, 3 and 4 February, with a focus on objects, customs and traditions associated with St. Brigid. This is a free event, suitable for all ages. No booking required. FIND OUT MORE
During Museum Opening Hours
National Museum of Ireland - Country Life, Turlough Park, Castlebar, Co Mayo
Explore how rural and traditional Irish communities celebrated seasonal festivals with traditional crafts and practices. FIND OUT MORE
2pm to 4pm, Sunday, 4 February 2024
National Museum of Ireland - Decorative Arts & History, Collins Barracks, Benburb Street, Dublin 7
Join artist Gabi McGrath in the Museum's Irish Country Furniture gallery for this free drop-in family weaving workshop to celebrate the start of spring. Suitable for families ages 5+. FIND OUT MORE
During Museum Opening Hours, 3 to 5 February 2024
National Museum of Ireland - Decorative Arts & History, Collins Barracks, Benburb Street, Dublin 7
The first day of spring brings the earth back to life after a long winter. To celebrate the beginning of the season of budding flowers and leaping lambs, pick up a copy of our Museum in Bloom activity trail to solve floral word scrambles, riddles, and more. FIND OUT MORE
Selected times, 3 to 5 February 2024
National Museum of Ireland - Archaeology, Kildare Street, Dublin 1
Join us to discover the artefacts associated with the patron saints of Ireland, St. Patrick, St. Brigid, and St. Colmcille, and see what archaeological evidence can tell us about the impact of Christianity to Ireland and which objects demonstrate the development of writing techniques. FIND OUT MORE
Online Activity throughout the month of February
National Museum of Ireland - Natural History, Merrion Street, Dublin 2
This spring, test your natural history knowledge, complete a virtual quiz, learn the songs of Ireland's most common birds, and test your searching skills with our spring themed word searches, all from the comfort of your own home. FIND OUT MORE

Clodagh Doyle, Keeper of the Irish Folklife Collection, outlines some the history of St Brigid's Day and associated customs and traditions. READ FULL ARTICLE HERE

There are hundreds of St Brigid's Crosses in the Irish Folklife Collection and this selection demonstrates some of the different materials and styles that were used to craft these objects. SEE ONLINE GALLERY HERE

Download and print out colouring sheets of St. Brigid's Shoe Shrine to design and decorate your own shrine at home. DOWNLOAD HERE

Clodagh Doyle, Keeper of the Irish Folklife Division, gives an introduction to St Brigid's Day, an Irish festival which signalled the first day of spring in folk tradition. It was a time when people looked to St Brigid for blessings, protection and fertility for the year ahead.

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Top ten activities to celebrate St Brigid's Day at the National Museum of Ireland | National Museum of Ireland

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Welcome to the National Museum of Ireland in Dublin & Castlebar covering Archaeology, Decorative Arts, Folk & Country Life, & Natural History.FREE Exhibitions

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St. Brigid was born in AD 450 in Faughart, near Dundalk in Co. Louth. Her father, Dubhthach, was a pagan chieftain of Leinster and her mother, Broicsech, was a Christian. It was thought that Brigid's mother was born in Portugal but was kidnapped by Irish pirates and brought to Ireland to work as a slave, just like St. Patrick was. Brigid's father named her after one of the most powerful goddesses of the pagan religion - the goddess of fire, whose manifestations were song, craftsmanship, and poetry, which the Irish considered the flame of knowledge. He kept Brigid and her mother as slaves even though he was a wealthy man. Brigid spent her earlier life cooking, cleaning, washing and feeding the animals on her father's farm.

She lived during the time of St.Patrick and was inspired by his preachings and she became a Christian. When Brigid turned eighteen, she stopped working for her father. Brigid's father wanted her to find a husband but Brigid had decided that she would spend her life working for God by looking after poor, sick and elderly people. Legend says that she prayed that her beauty would be taken away from her so no one would seek her hand in marriage; her prayer was granted. Brigid's charity angered her father because he thought she was being too generous to the poor. When she finally gave away his jewel-encrusted sword to a leper, her father realised that she would be best suited to the religious life. Brigid finally got her wish and entered the convent. She received her veil from St. Macaille and made her vows to dedicate her life to God. Legend also says that Brigid regained her beauty after making her vows and that God made her more beautiful than ever. News of Brigid's good works spread and soon many young girls from all over the country joined her in the convent. Brigid founded many convents all over Ireland; the most famous one was in Co. Kildare. It is said that this convent was built beside an oak tree where the town of Kildare now stands. Around 470 she also founded a double monastery, for nuns and monks, in Kildare. As Abbess of this foundation she wielded considerable power, but was a very wise and prudent superior. The Abbey of Kildare became one of the most prestigious monasteries in Ireland, and was famous throughout Christian Europe.

St. Brigid also founded a school of art, including metal work and illumination, over which St. Conleth presided. In the scriptorium of the monastery, the famous illuminated manuscript the Book of Kildare was created.

St. Brigid's Cross: Making a St. Brigid's cross is one of the traditional rituals in Ireland to celebrate the beginning of early spring, 1st February. The crosses are made of rushes that are pulled rather than cut. They are hung by the door and in the rafters to protect the house from fire and evil. According to tradition a new cross is made each St Brigid's Day, and the old one is burned to keep fire from the house. Many homes have several crosses preserved in the ceiling the oldest blackened by many years of hearth fires. Some believe that keeping a cross in the ceiling or roof is a good way to preserve the home from fire which was always a major threat in houses with thatch and wood roofs. St. Brigid and her cross are linked together by the story that she wove this form of cross at the death bed of either her father or a pagan lord, who upon hearing what the cross meant, asked to be baptised.
One version goes as follows: "A pagan chieftain from the neighbourhood of Kildare was dying. Christians in his household sent for Brigid to talk to him about Christ. When she arrived the chieftain was raving. As it was impossible to instruct this delirious man, hopes for his conversion seemed doubtful. Brigid sat down at his bedside and began consoling him. As was customary, the dirt floor was strewn with rushes both for warmth and cleanliness. Brigid stooped down and started to weave them into a cross, fastening the points together. The sick man asked what she was doing. She began to explain the cross, and as she talked his delirium quieted and he questioned her with growing interest. Through her weaving, he converted and was baptised at the point of death. Since then the cross of rushes has been venerated in Ireland."

St. Brigid died in AD 525 at the age of 75 and was buried in a tomb before the High Altar of her Abbey church. After some time, her remains were exhumed and transferred to Downpatrick to rest with the two other patron saints of Ireland, St. Patrick and St. Columcille. Her skull was extracted and brought to Lisbon, Portugal by two Irish noblemen, and it remains there to this day St. Brigid is the female patron saint of Ireland. She is also known as Muire na nGael or Mary of the Gael which means Our Lady of the Irish. Her feast day is the 1st of February which is the first day of Spring in Ireland.

St. Brigid's Cloak: St. Brigid went to the King of Leinster to ask for land to build a convent. She told the king that the place where she stood was the perfect place for a convent. It was beside a forest where they could collect firewood. There was also a lake nearby that would provide water and the land was fertile. The king laughed at her and refused to give her any land. Brigid prayed to God and asked him to soften the king's heart. Then she smiled at the king and said "will you give me as much land as my cloak will cover?" The king thought that she was joking and because Brigid's cloak was so small he knew that it would only cover a very small piece of land. The king agreed and Brigid spread her cloak on the ground. She asked her four friends to hold a corner of the cloak and walk in opposite directions. The four friends walked north, south, east and west. The cloak grew immediately and began to cover many acres of land. The king was astonished and he realized that she had been blessed by God. The king fell to the ground and knelt before Brigid and promised her and her friends money, food and supplies. Soon afterwards, the king became a Christian and also started to help the poor. Brigid's miracle of the cloak was the first of many miracles that she worked for the people of Ireland.

Our School Motto is based on St. Brigid's Cloak: "Le Chéile Faoi Bhrat Bhríde" (Together under St. Brigid's Cloak)

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Story of St. Brigid St. Brigid was born in AD 450 in Faughart, near Dundalk in Co. Louth. Her father, Dubhthach, was a pagan chieftain of Leinster and her mother, Broicsech, was a Christian. It was...

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The Song of Brigid's Cloak by Catherine Ann Cullen

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Instructions for making a St Bridget's Cross from rushes or drinking straws - a traditional Irish craft undertaken on the 1st February - St Bridget's Day

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Resources for the Feast of Saint Brigid - 1 February 2021

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Monday, 1 February 2021, is the Feast of Saint Brigid, Abbess and Secondary Patron of Ireland. Saint Brigid is renowned for her hospitality, almsgiving and care of the sick. Saint Brigid was born in 454 and she went on to found a double monastery in Kildare with the assistance of Bishop Conleth.

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Story about (the) St. Bridget.
When St. Bridget was a young girl she lived with her people in Kildare. She was very fond of milch cow's calves and dairy farming. She was very kind to the poor. Every time she made a churning she divided the butter into twelve parts. One day she went a long way from home and she was going back to Kildare. In her early days she used to go a long way on journeys from home. On that journey night came on her and she got lodging. The widow was poor and she had her cow and calf in one corner of the house. They had nothing to give her for her supper so they killed the calf and cooked it for her. Next morning when the widow awoke St. Bridget was gone on her journey and there was a beautiful calf with the cow far bigger and nicer than the other calf, Mary Madden. My grandmother told me this story. Mrs. Bridget Power Airyhill, Kylebrack, Loughrea. She is seventy four years of age.

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Story about (the) St. Bridget.When St. Bridget was a young girl she lived with her people in Kildare. She was very fond of milch cow's calves and dairy farming. She was very kind to the poor. Every time she made a churning she divided the butter into twelve parts.

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St. Brigid's Eve
St. Brigid's Eve falls on the 31st of January every year. On that night every person that is working at sea takes his clothes out side and shakes them and says Bratóg Bridge. They leave a pot of poundies at the fire and stick a lot of spoons in it. No one can throw any water on the street. Everything has to be and nobody can go out side the door after dark. If there is a Brigid in the house she goes outside and knocks at the door and the people inside say, Blessed Brigid come in, and they all go on their knees, and she knocks at the door again and they all say Blessed Brigid come in and she comes in carrying a creel of rushes and she makes crosses and wreathes and they tie the wreathes round their heads and they say they will not have a headache for the next year after that. Then they all start and say the rosary and Brigid

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St Brigid's Eve · Naomh Colmcille, Leitir Cheanainn · Bailiúchán na Scol

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Bailiúchán béaloidis é seo a chnuasaigh páistí scoile in Éirinn le linn na 1930idí.