Bringing St Brigid's Cloak to Life

Miracles are Just Love in Action

In the 1,500th anniversary year of St. Brigid’s death, scores of craftswomen, pupils,  and writers have been celebrating her legacy in Bringing St. Brigid’s Cloak to Life.  The project was imagined by poet Bee Smith and artist Morag Donald (Crafting Your Soul). Their vision has been brought to life with many helping hands and will be exhibited in The Eden Gallery, Cavan County Museum

Bringing St. Brigid’s Cloak to Life will launch in the Eden Gallery on Saturday 1 February 2025 at 2.00 pm – booking requested with the museum on 049 8544070 or info@cavanmuseum.ie.  The Exhibit runs from 28 January until 22  February and the Museum is open Tuesday-Saturday, 10am -5pm. from 28 January to 22 February 2025.

Bringing St. Brigid’s Cloak to Life Project launch:

Saturday 1 February @ 2.00 pm 

Please book your place at the launch by contacting the museum on Tel: 353 49 8544070 Email: info@cavanmuseum.ie 

The project was inspired by the legend of St. Brigid’s miraculously expanding cloak that secured the land for her monastery in Kildare.   

Over two hundred individual pieces of feltwork, gelli print, embroidery and crochet adorn the outer cloak. The cloak’s lining has over a hundred prayers, blessings and poems written by school children and adults from across Cavan and beyond.

Dowra-based poet and creative writing facilitator Bee says, “The project was sparked by my niece, an avid crocheter, who boldly challenged us to make one! I have long collaborated with artist Morag Donald on projects that involve words and visuals. Between us we seeded the idea of a cloak covered with the myriad symbols associated with St. Brigid with a lining of prayers, praise, blessings and poetry.” Not unlike the saint’s cloak, the project’s original vision expanded when Bee and Morag met with Creative Cavan’s Sharon Howe.

The project was ultimately financially supported by Creative Ireland, Cavan Arts Office and Cuilcagh Lakelands Global Geopark. The project includes contributions spanning 80 years of experience; the youngest contributor was a 4 ½ year old Ukrainian refugee schoolchild and the oldest a member of the Irish diaspora, 84 ½ year old Brigid McGovern, originally of Dowra but now resident in Birmingham.  The project was supported by guest facilitators from Baileborough Creative Hub and embroidery expert Fatíma González Méndez. Photography artist Julie Corcoran created an inspired interpretation and visual record of the project from a photo shoot in Cavan Burren Park.

Fermanagh- based artist Morag comments,” I thought I knew about Brigid but have learned so much about her during the project. At each workshop people shared stories about her and what she means to them. Whenever we mentioned the project people immediately got fired up and wanted to be involved. It's a real tribute to Brigid that she still inspires such devotion long after her death. My inspiration was taken from the stories of the miracles she performed. I felt it was so important to remind people that miracles can still happen in our modern world. It was an honour to be involved in creating an object that started as a second- hand bed sheet and has been transformed into a miraculous garment by so many hands and hearts. Yet another of Brigid's many miracles.”

Bee, a long-time devotee of all things St. Brigid and goddess Brighid, hopes the symbols on the Cloak embody the inclusivity of the original Abbess of Kildare. “Once I began to research the legends, I had to create a spreadsheet to keep track of the many associations with both the saint and goddess and the overlap between the two. As the project developed, the tagline Miracles are Love in Action occurred to me. Certainly, the kindness and enthusiasm of over one hundred volunteer contributors of textile art and writing has been very moving. It certainly felt like from an acorn a mighty oak rose. And oak is certainly one of many symbols represented on the Cloak.”

This project is funded by Creative Ireland and Cavan County Council through Creative Cavan.

Photograph Credit: Julie Corcoran Photographic Artist

Exhibition booklet  can be found here.

This project is funded by Creative Ireland and Cavan County Council through Creative Cavan.

For further information contact:

Bee Smith, dowrabeessmith@gmail.com 00353-87-902-7354

Morag Donald moragdonald1@gmail.com  0044-7568-502433

Sharon Howe showe@cavancoco.ie 00353 49-437-8506