20. Sister Rita Minehan: Who Was Saint Brigid?
01/30/24 • 53 min
This is the second episode in a series celebrating Saint Brigid of Kildare - one of our three patron Saints, with the other two being Patrick and Colmcille.This week is all about the 1500th anniversary of Saint Brigid and we thought it would be a good idea to chat with someone who has a good grasp of the facts of what the lady, Brigid of Kildare was all about.
In the previous episode Fender was talking with Paula O’Brien who works for Kildare County Councila and she mentioned that “Sister Rita” really knows a lot about Saint Brigid. So it was a no brainer for me to go to the religious centre of Ireland when it comes to our only female patron saint.
Sister Rita Minehan is what we call a Brigidine sister. Sister Rita is based in Solas Bhride which translate’s as Light (or flame) of Brigid. (Solas is the Gaelic for light.) To quote from their website:
“Solas Bhride is a Christian Spirituality Centre with a focus on St. Brigid and the early Christian Celtic tradition which had a profound sense of the presence of God in everyone and everything. It is a spirituality nourished by ritual, tradition, contemplation, experience and story.”
Whilst learning about Saint Brigid Fender was remembering an earlier episode which he recorded with another Brigid - Brid Rodgers. Brid Rodgers is a retired politician and she worked with John Hume’s SDLP.
Bríd was quite instrumental in delivering the Good Friday Agreement which helped bring peace to Northern Ireland. In that interview Bríd was talking about the concerns of Unionists (or people in the Protestant community) in Northern Ireland. Bríd said that the Unionists had concerns about the Republic of Ireland being a Roman Catholic state. She then argues that this is less a case now.
So whatever your faith, or lack of faith is, you cannot deny that the Catholic Church has had a huge influence over the island of Ireland since about the sixth Century. And, given that this is the 1500th anniversary of Saint Brigid, we thought it would be remiss of us not to delve into the life and times of Brigid of Kildare. Who better to give us an insight into this truly, legendary historical Irish figure of Brigid of Kildare than a Brigidine Sister. We are truly grateful to Sister Rita for her contribution for this episode.
Relevant Links
https://solasbhride.ie
Get bonus content on PatreonHosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
This is the second episode in a series celebrating Saint Brigid of Kildare - one of our three patron Saints, with the other two being Patrick and Colmcille.This week is all about the 1500th anniversary of Saint Brigid and we thought it would be a good idea to chat with someone who has a good grasp of the facts of what the lady, Brigid of Kildare was all about.
In the previous episode Fender was talking with Paula O’Brien who works for Kildare County Councila and she mentioned that “Sister Rita” really knows a lot about Saint Brigid. So it was a no brainer for me to go to the religious centre of Ireland when it comes to our only female patron saint.
Sister Rita Minehan is what we call a Brigidine sister. Sister Rita is based in Solas Bhride which translate’s as Light (or flame) of Brigid. (Solas is the Gaelic for light.) To quote from their website:
“Solas Bhride is a Christian Spirituality Centre with a focus on St. Brigid and the early Christian Celtic tradition which had a profound sense of the presence of God in everyone and everything. It is a spirituality nourished by ritual, tradition, contemplation, experience and story.”
Whilst learning about Saint Brigid Fender was remembering an earlier episode which he recorded with another Brigid - Brid Rodgers. Brid Rodgers is a retired politician and she worked with John Hume’s SDLP.
Bríd was quite instrumental in delivering the Good Friday Agreement which helped bring peace to Northern Ireland. In that interview Bríd was talking about the concerns of Unionists (or people in the Protestant community) in Northern Ireland. Bríd said that the Unionists had concerns about the Republic of Ireland being a Roman Catholic state. She then argues that this is less a case now.
So whatever your faith, or lack of faith is, you cannot deny that the Catholic Church has had a huge influence over the island of Ireland since about the sixth Century. And, given that this is the 1500th anniversary of Saint Brigid, we thought it would be remiss of us not to delve into the life and times of Brigid of Kildare. Who better to give us an insight into this truly, legendary historical Irish figure of Brigid of Kildare than a Brigidine Sister. We are truly grateful to Sister Rita for her contribution for this episode.
Relevant Links
https://solasbhride.ie
Get bonus content on PatreonHosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Previous Episode
19.#Brigid1500: Celebrations For St. Brigid's Anniversary
Episode 19 marks the first of a series celebrating the 1500th Anniversary of Ireland's female patron Saint, Brigid of Kildare. We are taking you around the island to each of the four provinces to offer a glimpse of some of the events that are occurring which are marking this monumentous celebration. Special thanks to all the interviewees in this episode.
Relevant Links
MUNSTER 02:10
https://recoveryhavenkerry.com
https://www.instagram.com/dononeilldesign
https://www.instagram.com/colinhorgan
https://www.instagram.com/marykennedyrte
https://www.instagram.com/daily_divadiary
ULSTER 08:19
https://www.tumblingpaddy.com
https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/brigid-tickets-796382099297
CONNAUGHT 19:59
https://hamiltongallery.ie
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eil%C3%A9an_N%C3%AD_Chuillean%C3%A1in
https://tonnta.eu
LEINSTER 27:11
https://brigid1500.ie
https://epicchq.com
https://epicchq.com/mocking-bridget-irish-immigrant-stereotypes-after-the-famine
Get bonus content on PatreonHosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Next Episode
21. Deirdre Brennan: Looking For Brigid feat. Irish With Mollie
Episode 21 is the third in a series celebrating the 1500th anniversary of St. Brigid. Firstly we have Mollie (from ‘IrishWithMollie’) teaching us how to say Happy Saint Brigid’s Day in Gaelic followed by a conversation with photographer Deirdre Brennan. Deirdre has photographed 60 women named Brigid around the island of Ireland and these images will be projected at Barnardo Square in Dublin from 1st to 5th February 2024.
00:00:23 Irish With Mollie
00:07:31 Greetings with Deirdre Brennan
00:07:41 Looking For Brigid introduction
00:08:51 The call out and help from Keith Nolan
00:12:13 Discussing the project
00:20:13 My Bloody Sunday (project)
00:21:57 The Irish State Is 100 Years Old (project)
00:24:30 Bloody Sunday
Some of the Brigids
00:26:26 Bridget McDermott
00:27:40 Bridget Brownlow
00:28:32 Bridget Harper
00:30:05 Breege Corr
00:31:30 Bridget Connors
00:33:27 Brigid McDonnell
00:34:59 Travelling around Ireland
00:35:48 Funding
00:38:41 Bridie Gribben
00:39:27 Bríd Logue
00:41:20 Brigid Kavita,
00:43:10 Brigid Raven Smith,
00:44:25 Brigid Leahy
00:46:38 Bridie
00:47:38 Bridgeen Bustinza
00:48:48 Bonnie Brigid Cartin
00:49:23 Brigid
00:49:55 Bríd
00:50:36 Brigitte Bardot
00:52:07 Brigid the baby
00:53:21 Brigid Whinnery
00:55:01 Briege Morrison
00:55:56 Brigid Smyth
00:57:58 Mo Mowlem
01:00:30 How has Deirdre’s view of Brigid changed?
01:01:36 The three deaths
01:03:21 Talking Derry Girls Podcast
01:04:01 Plans for the future
01:05:38 James Joyce
Relevant Links
https://deirdrebrennan.com
https://www.irishwithmollie.com
https://dublin.ie/whats-on/listings/shine-on-brigit-at-barnardo-square
Get bonus content on PatreonHosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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