St Brigid’s Day Ireland 2025: Move over St Patrick's Day - as Ireland gears up to celebrate third year of new bank holiday, facts about St Brigid

When you think of Irish bank holidays and patron saints, the obvious comes to mind which is St Patrick’s Day. But, the patroness saint of Ireland is St Brigid and Ireland actually has a fairly new bank holiday to celebrate it.

Since 2018, Irish Embassies and Consulates across the world have marked the day by celebrating the creativity of women, through a broad programme of events. The new February holiday marks the feast of St Brigid, which takes place on February 1st each year, and which will now see the first Monday in February- or Friday, on the years when February 1st falls then - become the 10th Irish public holiday, and the first additional public holiday since “May Day”, the first Monday in May, was introduced in 1994.

Part of the Celtic celebration of Imbolc, St Brigid’s Day celebrates the new season of growth, nature, colour, and creativity. As the only female patron saint of Ireland, alongside famed patron saints St Patrick and St Columba, St Brigid is also a pagan goddess of fire and fertility and is a symbol for celebrating the rebirth of nature and the colour and vibrance that comes in springtime.

Believed to have lived during the 5th century, St Brigid’s life abounds with legends of her kindness, compassion, and charity but also her creativity through poetry and craftsmanship. She is famed for her healing miracles and is often associated with the early Irish Christian Church, having founded several monasteries including one in Kildare, which became a centre of learning in Ireland.

Visitors can follow in the footsteps of St Brigid by visiting St Brigid’s Cathedral in Kildare and Holy Well in County Clare and joining in with local traditions. As part of their yearly traditions, locals dip a clootie (piece of rag) in the well, tying the clootie along with ribbons and trinkets to the branches of the tree, thought to bring good health.

Visitors to County Kildare can experience the ‘Legends of Kildare’, an immersive 3D experience that transports visitors back in time to discover the heritage and mythology of ancient Kildare through stories of St. Brigid. The experience includes a Mediaeval guide and allows visitors to learn about the history of Kildare’s Mediaeval sites through Virtual Reality, including St Brigid’s Cathedral and Round Tower and the ancient Fire Temple.

Brigid’s Cross, a symbol woven from rushes or straw, is one of her enduring legacies. Traditionally made on her feast day, it is believed to protect homes from fire and evil. Workshops are taking place around the country to teach participants how to weave the iconic St Brigid’s Cross from rushes, a symbol of Irish heritage.

There will be a lot of events all around Dublin to mark the occasion. City landmarks like the General Post Office will be illuminated with an illustration of Brigid.