Since we opened Creative Ardagh, in Ardagh Heritage and Creativity Centre, 10 years ago, one of our favourite events, which wasn’t a particularly big one but was a very meaningful one to all who came, was our cross making workshop.

The usual crew came and had tea with us and we created crosses of all shapes and sizes, helped each other try out the new ones we found, or perfect the traditional one made locally. Everyone was tutor and student together.

Stories were told of Brigid, her connection to Ardagh, the meaning that could be drawn from each story, the significance of the well and everyone agreed to join the walk to the well on the 1st, a walk that has happened forever it seems.

Every St. Brigid’s Day the crosses made by the people of the parish are blessed in the church and everyone goes down to the well where the priest performs a blessing. Then those that believe, or just want to believe, fill their bottles from the well with the water that is meant to cure ‘growths’. We generally ask anyone who wants to, to come back to the centre for tea and scones and many do.

But not this year, this year we didn’t have our workshop and this year we aren’t having tea and scones. We know many will wander to the well in their own time today, we put our Brat Bhride out last night ourselves too. We hope next 1st of February we can gather again and create and tell stories together. Here is a video on how to make a Brigid’s cross with our local poet Rose Moran reciting one of her own poems on Brigid.

Picture is created by Annette Corkery and was featured on the GPO 1st February 2020 for Herstory’s celebration of St. Brigid’s Day.