The Diplomat
Last Wednesday, the Embassy of Ireland celebrated the feast day of its national saint, St. Brigid, with a concert at the Centro Cultural Casa de Vacas in Madrid’s El Retiro Park, featuring internationally renowned Irish piper Louise Mulcahy, along with Madrid’s Irish dance group, Irish Treble.
Starting this year, 1 February in Ireland is a new annual public holiday, to honour the country’s only female patron saint, St. Brigid. It is a time to highlight the creativity of women, and in the words of Irish Ambassador Frank Smyth, “to celebrate the achievements of Irish women”.
In the words of the protagonist, Louise Mulcahy, “in Irish folklore, St. Brigid is associated with many elements of nature. St. Brigid is synonymous with spring, a time of renewal, new life, growth and positivity. St. Brigid’s Day is dedicated to reflect and embrace compassion, love, courage and respect. This special day allows for creative energy to awaken and for all Irish communities around the world to come together to celebrate Brígida, Mná na hÉireann (The Women of Ireland). We celebrate Irish women of the past, present and future across the world and raise awareness of the importance of putting women back into the historical narrative of the present and future.”
