Laois woman's verse central to St Brigid's Day national celebration

A Laois woman is playing a central role in celebrations to mark St Brigid’s Day, Ireland’s first ever national holiday dedicated to a woman.

Herstory poet-in-residence is Laura Murphy is part of a project to celebrate St Brigid's qualities as environmentalist, feminist, activist, humanitarian, pioneer, healer, poet, creatrix and wisdom weaver. 

Laura was inspired to write Is Mise Bríd while working on their three-year campaign to make Brigid’s Day a national holiday. 

“Brigid was a guiding light for some of Ireland’s greatest humanitarians and revolutionaries including Grace O’ Malley, Lady Gregory and Maud Gonne. She is an inspiration in my life too," says the Laois woman.

She continues: "Brigid offers us a powerful template for living a purposeful life. She teaches us how to care for ourselves, each other and the planet. Brigid doesn’t want to be worshipped, She wants her qualities to be lived," she says.

Laura explains her poem.

"‘Is Mise Bríd’ is about embodying Brigid’s essence. When we do this, we ignite the inner fires of creativity, inspiration and passion that are needed for the flourishing of ourselves and our planet,” she says.

Herstory leads the national St. Brigid’s Day celebrations with a spectacular Herstory Festival of Light, illuminating iconic landmarks with the beautiful art of women. The full programme of free events as well as school artivism project, articles, art and lots of ideas on how the nation can celebrate Brigid and mná na hÉireann can be found on www.brigidsday.org

Melanie Lynch, Herstory CEO, and Laura Murphy join Derry Girls star Siobhán McSweeney as she gathers a “mnásome” group of women including former president Mary McAleese in her quest for the Real Brigid.

Tune in to watch RTÉ’s epic new documentary Finding Brigid on Tuesday, January 31 on RTÉ One at 10.15pm

Laura's work is centred around the ancient Irish poetic practice of ‘Imbas Forosnai’ which means ‘inspiration that illuminates’. It is comparable to what we know today as ‘flow-state’. The ancient poets of Ireland used this practice to bring healing to society and truth to power. 

Laura’s work has been featured in the critically-acclaimed production ‘Home: Part One’ by the Abbey Theatre, the Herstory Light Shows and most recently in the campaign to make Brigid’s Day a national holiday.

The Portlaoise-based poet composed a powerful tribute to the county, ‘In Laois I Fly Free’ which was launched online in 2022.

Laura spoke about her county at the time.

“I’ve spent a lot of my life being reminded that the best things about Laois are either the prison or the road out of it. Like everywhere, Laois has its bad points, but there is also incredible beauty and magic about the place. Laois is synonymous with captivity, but when I was landlocked in Laois during lockdown I realised that freedom is a state of mind that can be experienced anywhere and in any circumstance,” she said.

‘In Laois I Fly Free’ was filmed at the Rock of Dunamase, Slieve Bloom Mountains, Oughaval Woods and Portlaoise.

The poem, soundscape and video work together to bring forth the golden threads of magic that run through Laois’s ancient past and present alike. An evocative and inspiring piece that is sure to stir the people of Laois and beyond.

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