Pittsburgh Irish Festival to hold virtual St. Brigid celebration
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Just about everyone knows who St. Patrick is, but few it seems have heard of St. Brigid.
The folks at the Pittsburgh Irish Festival are hoping to change that. The organization has announced a “Celebration of St. Brigid” on Feb. 1 — the official holiday for St. Brigid, just as March 17 is dedicated to St. Patrick.
St. Brigid is one of Ireland’s patron saints and, though not as famous as her male counterpart, she and St. Patrick are buried together in Ireland.
She is perhaps best known for creating an unusual cross that bears her name. This cross is normally handmade from woven rushes or straw and is supposed to keep evil, fire and hunger from homes in which it is displayed. The symbolism is significant for St. Brigid in the same way the shamrock is for St. Patrick.
Another of St. Brigid’s claims to fame is she is considered to be one of the patron saints of beer, having miraculously changed water into beer for a leper colony and provided enough beer for 18 churches from a single barrel.
“While Brigid is celebrated with a feast every Feb. 1 in Ireland, the same sentiment really hasn’t made its way over to the Unites States,” said Pittsburgh Irish Festival spokeswoman Mairin Petrone. “Our mission is to create that awareness and to get people celebrating her in the states. She is just as important to Irish culture and Irish lore as St. Patrick and we’d love to see her get the same level of recognition.”
With support from the Irish Embassy, the Association of Irish and Celtic Festivals (AICF) is hosting an online concert with performances by celebrated female Irish musicians.
“After our success with our Irish Christmas Concert, we wanted to continue our mission of education, and what better way than through St. Brigid’s Day and a celebration of the female spirit,” said Erin O’Rourke, AICF executive board member.
“We hope that by highlighting this Irish patron saint and her holiday and stories, we can entertain and educate audiences with a program that celebrates her and some of the best female Irish musicians and dancers across the world.”
Emer Rocke, Ireland’s deputy ambassador to the United States, said this about St. Brigid: “From Annie Moore to Mother Jones, Georgia O’Keefe to Maureen O’Hara, Irish women and their daughters have blazed a trail across every sphere of American life. In the week this country’s first woman vice president took office, I’m delighted to announce this celebration of remarkable women artists.”
Co-hosts for the event are Grammy Award-winning fiddler Eileen Ivers. She will also perform. Ivers will be joined by Joanie Madden, considered one of the greatest musicians and personalities in the history of Irish music in America.
The online concert begins at 8 p.m. on Feb. 1 and will stream on the Pittsburgh Irish Festival Facebook page. For more information about the event, click here.