Saint Brigid's Day is roughly halfway between the winter solstice and the spring equinox, so it makes a perfect time to have a festival.

This also coincides with an article from the Guardian here about not mowing, spraying or removing dandelions in spring for bees.

In more modern times, the snowdrop or daffodil are more likely to be seen flowering on Saint Brigid's Day but neither of these are native to Ireland.

Check out my YouTube video - a walk around the birthplace of Saint Brigid, Faughart in County Louth below.

Saint Brigid's Day will become a national holiday in Ireland from 2023 onwards; lying midway between New Year's Day and Saint Patrick's Day on 17th of March with the holiday falling on the first Monday of the month, for 2024 that's Monday, 5th of February and it marks 1,500 years since her death.

Many sites in Faughart are still associated with the patron saint, including this horseshoe shaped mound below which is known as Saint Brigid's Bed with Slieve Gullion in the distance.

I recently visited Saint Brigid's Cathedral in Kildare, the site of her monastery from around the year 470.

And of course, traditionally Irish people made Saint Brigid's crosses using reeds at this time of year.

Below is one of these crosses, suspended from the rear view mirror of an Irish bus between Cork and Dublin in 2017 - this is not decades ago.

Enjoy and stay tuned to find more spring images soon here on Panoramic Ireland.