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An annual Féile Bríde, which precedes Brigid's feastday on the first of February,
evolved from the 1993 Conference. Féile Bríde is a five-day event, organised by the
Brigidine sisters, Cáirde Bhríde and AFRI. It has a pilgrimage and a peace and justice
conference as a core component. The secular and the sacred are intertwined.
There is something for everybody: Local school children dramatise the legends of Brigid;
Brigid's crosses are woven by young and old. The celebration of Eucharist and other creative
rituals are conducted in the local churches and at St Brigid's Well. Artists entertain
those who come to a feast of poetry, music, song and céili (Irish dancing). Locals and
visitors together explore places associated with Brigid, within the local area. This
sometimes includes a visit to a small village near the Curragh, called Suncroft, where
stands a limestone Annette McCormack.
When Annette decided to carve a small cross on
Brigid's breast, a fossil, in the shape of a crescent moon, came to light under her chisel
in the centre of the pectoral cross, "releasing-a-million years' old record of primeval
life on earth". Féile Bríde attracts participants from many countries. The exciting growth
and success of the Féile has its source in the energy and efforts of the community from
which it sprang.
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