Committee to oversee St Brigid's 1,500th anniversary events

A steering committee is being formed to oversee the celebrations planned for the 1,500th anniversary in 2023 of the death of St Brigid.

Brigid1500 was launched on the saint’s feast day on February 1 last with the illumination of several key buildings around the county.

A coordinator is also being hired to look after the day-to-day running of events.

Programme

A Kildare County Council spokesperson said: “A steering committee will be formed to develop the programme and celebrate using a multi diverse approach.

“The steering committee will include representatives from spiritual, heritage, diaspora, education, tourism, cultural, local and wider communities.

“We are currently in the process of recruiting a programme co-ordinator who will implement the Brigid1500 strategy and work to the steering committee.”

Local councillors in the Kildare area have been calling for urgency around the issue.

In January, consultants Abarta Heritage Limited gave a presentation to Newbridge-Kildare Municipal District councillors on the heritage strategy and business plan around Brigid1500.

Each MD is expected to provide an allocation of €20,000 from Local Property Tax funds to pay for the preparation, planning and identification of funding streams for the celebrations.

Local communities across Kildare are also encouraged to actively engage in the event.

Meanwhile, the council is inviting applications for projects such as Brigid1500 for the Kildare Creative Ireland Bursary Awards 2022.

The funding is aimed at initiatives which develop bodies of work with public engagement. The council said applications may creatively explore themes around Brigid1500 as well as other areas such as heritage, music, Irish language and climate change.