A Little Book of Brigid (2024)

A Little Book of Brigid was created to celebrate women and commemorate Brigid of Kildare, marking 1,500 years since her death. Through a collection of illustrated poems, the book honours Brigid as patron of poets and printers, celebrating her enduring presence in everyday life, history and the living world. Following an open call that received 160 submissions from around the world, 28 poems (24 in English and four in Irish) were selected. One hundred copies were intended as gifts for inspiring women and institutions in Ireland and internationally, recognising those who have championed women’s rights or supported women in their communities. The project also sought to reconnect the public with letterpress printing, a craft with a rich history of association with women’s activism.

Hand-set and printed by Emily Rainsford and Angelina Foster at Blueway Art Studio in Narraghmore, Co. Kildare, the book brings together traditional printmaking, handmade illustration and bookbinding. Seven invited artists contributed drawings, mark-making and collage, while the Irish-language poems were screen-printed to preserve Brigid’s native tongue. Inspired by Celtic seasonal rituals, the book’s sections are titled Intention and Gratitude, with an oak leaf recurring throughout as a symbol of Brigid. Each copy was bound with French linen thread using Coptic stitch and included a Brat Bhríde made from Irish linen dyed with foraged Kildare heather. Weaving became a central metaphor for the project: women as makers of opportunity, community and shared futures. Launched in Narraghmore on 13 April 2024, the first ten books were presented to inspiring women nominated by their communities, including Ireland’s First Lady, Sabina Higgins.