St Brigid's Day 2021
News
22 January 2021
While St Brigid’s Day 2021 may look a little different this year, Embassy London together with partners across Britain have exciting plans to continue this new tradition of celebrating the creativity and talent of women.
Launching the festival, a special online Embassy event will go live on YouTube and Facebook at 6pm on Sunday 31st January.
The St Brigid's Festival will see a host of Brigid’s Day events from the Irish Consulate in Edinburgh, Luton Irish Forum, Liverpool Irish Festival, the Irish Cultural Centre in Hammersmith, Irish Film London and the London Irish Centre.
St. Brigid’s Festival Programme of Events
Friday 29th January
Irish Cultural Centre Hammersmith
A documentaryfilm 'Hidden Treasures' will be available to view from 3pm on Friday 29 Jan. As a highlight of this year's St Brigid’s Celebrations, the ICC is delighted to launch ‘Hidden Treasures’, the first part of the highly acclaimed four-part documentary series examining the history of Irish folklife.
Visit the Irish Cultural Centre's website for more information and how to tune in.
Saturday 30th January
Luton Irish Forum
St. Brigid’s Day event from Luton Irish Forum – afternoon Zoom event with an optional Afternoon Tea!
Book online via Eventbrite, email info@lutonirishforum.org or phone 01582 720 447.
Sunday 31st January
Consulate General of Ireland, Cardiff
At 12pm on Sunday 31st January, the Consulate will highlight the recent May McCarthy Festival of Piping which showcased leading modern women uilleann pipers.
The concert celebrated the early 20th century teenage piper May McCarthy of Cork. In December 1910, the National Gaelic League of Great Britain invited her to play a series of concerts across South Wales, which had a very active Irish community across the towns of Cardiff, Swansea, Barry and Merthyr Tydfil. The South Wales Pipers concert in December marked the 110th anniversary of that famous tour of South Wales.
Five women from around the world, Louise Mulcahy, Sheila Friel, Debbie Quigley, Rita Farrell and Sorcha Ní Scolaí, came together to play the original tunes performed all those years ago, and the outcome was a truly memorable concert. It will be re-released on the Consulate’s Facebook page and @IrelandinWales Twitter at 12pm.
Embassy St. Brigid’s Day Event
At 6pm on Sunday 31st January the Embassy will bring you a virtual St Brigid's Day celebration featuring:
- Poetry by London-based Irish poet Martina Evans and musician and spoken word artist Sinead O’Brien.
- A conversation between Louise Richardson, Vice-Chancellor Oxford University and ITN’s Julie Etchingham on Women in Education
- Musical performances from Joy Crookes, Aislinn Logan and FEARS (Constance Keane).
Join us at dfa.ie/brigidsdaylondon21 for 'Brigid Unplugged'.
Irish Film London
At 5pm, Irish Film London will host 'The 8th': in Conversation with Lucy Kennedy, Ailbhe Smyth and Andrea Horan.
Tickets available on Eventbrite.
For more details, visit Irish Film London's website, Twitter and Facebook.
Monday 1st February
Consulate of Ireland, Edinburgh
An Irish-Scottish celebration of Brigid’s Day 2021
From 11am on Monday 1st February, the Consulate General of Ireland in Edinburgh, in partnership with the Scottish Government Office in Dublin, will celebrate St Brigid’s Day 2021 with poetry from Ireland and Scotland. This joint celebration of poetry will highlight the work of Scottish poet Iona Lee and Irish poet Julie Morrissy, in collaboration with the Scottish Poetry Library and Poetry Ireland.
Irish Community Organisations across Scotland, including Conradh na Gaeilge Glaschú, Causeway: Ireland Scotland Business Exchange, and Scotland GAA, will also celebrate the spirit of Brigid in 2021.
With Conradh na Gaeilge’s Cois Tine Fhéile Bhríde, Causeway’s Spring Forward Workshop and Scotland GAA’s spotlight on inspirational stories for young girls in sport, Brigid’s cloak is being spread further and wider in Scotland this year.
To learn more and tune in to these celebrations, visit the website of the Consulate General of Ireland in Edinburgh www.dfa.ie/Edinburgh, Twitter @irlscotland and Facebook.
Consulate General of Ireland, Cardiff
'Two Songs for Solo Flute'
The Consulate General in Cardiff has commissioned flautist Emma Coulthard and poet Saoirse Anton to present “Two Songs for Solo Flute” by the contemporary Irish composer Rhona Clarke.
Rhona has drawn inspiration for her work from two poems: Maya Angelou’s “Take Time Out” and “Begin” by Brendan Kennelly. Saoirse will read the original poems while Emma performs the associated flute compositions. The two recordings will be presented on the Cardiff Consulate’s Facebook page on St Brigid’s Day, Monday the 1st of February at 12pm, and 2pm.
Liverpool Irish Festival
The Liverpool Irish Festival will be releasing a series of #BrigidsDay21 content on Facebook from 5pm on Monday 1st February.
The specially-commissioned content will include a series of discussions, poetry, visual art, film and song, from special guests:
- Ifah Ahmed: A Girl From Mogadishu
- Edy Fung: Retrospective Future Gazers
- Cathy Carter: The Widow's Friend
- Alison Little: Quarantine
- Carmen Cullen: Covid-19 Reflections
- Ciara Ní É: Darlughdach's song
- Jean Maskell: A Leap of Faith
Stay tuned to the Liverpool Irish Festival's Facebook page throughout the hour to enjoy this special series.
Irish Cultural Centre Hammersmith
At 6pm on Monday 1st Feb, the Irish Cultural Centre are delighted to present the amazing master Irish Storyteller Kate Corkery, who will bring you wondrous, bloodthirsty tales of Irish Goddesses and hags, all told with power and gusto.
The ICC are also showcasing the diverse range of female artists that have been featured on ICC Digital since the channel launched last year.
Visit the ICC's website, Twitter and Facebook.
Irish Film London
At 7pm, Irish Film London will host 'Room': A Conversation with Director Lenny Abrahamson on Facebook Live.
Brand new shorts will be added to Irish Film From Home, and feature films will be available to watch in assocaition with the Galway Film Fleadh.
For more details, visit Irish Film London's website, Twitter and Facebook.
London Irish Centre
Join the London Irish Centre at 8pm for 'Imbolc – Change is Necessary'.
The London Irish Centre celebrates St Brigid’s Day by marking the traditional feast of Imbolc associated with the goddess Brigid.
Imbolc marks a time of change in the seasons and a rebirth or renewal in nature. For this year’s celebration the LIC will be focusing on change. Change that has come and change that is yet to come.
Musicians Orla Gartland & RuthAnne will be speaking about Irish Women in Harmony, gender disparity on radio as well as other topics and musical performances.
Noelle Brown & Jess Kav will talk about the recent release of the final report by the Commission of Investigation into Ireland’s Mother & Baby Homes.
To finish, comedians Tara Flynn & Alison Spittle will talk about what St Brigid's Day means to them.
The event will be available on the London Irish Centre’s Facebook page & YouTube channel.
Tuesday 2nd February
Irish Cultural Centre Hammersmith
Visual Art by Jacqueline Heeley will be available to view from 2pm Tuesday 2nd Feb. Heeley is an Irish photographer and filmmaker who is self-taught. She developed her eye as a street photographer in the mid 1990s while living in Dublin and continued this practice when she later moved to Barcelona. Elaborating on the idea of evoking a story in a single frame, she started to make films based on her writings and still photography.
www.irishculturalcentre.co.uk/brigidsday2021/
Irish Film London
Join Irish Film London for a conversation with Roisin Conaty and Bridget Christie, and chats with the all-female production company Alfonso Films.
At 5pm, don't miss live music with Lewis Barfoot on Facebook Live, followed by a Q&A.
For more details, visit Irish Film London's website, Twitter and Facebook.