03/17/2026
Happy Irish Day! ☘️ And if you say the other, it’s Paddy’s Day please, not Patty. I’m 83% Irish so I’m Irish every day and celebrate that heritage. But let’s celebrate the ladies! This holiday bugs me for many reasons, most notably the glorification of taking, usurping, or erasing a culture’s spiritual beliefs. And replacing a rich heritage with stereotypes. St. Patrick (who isn’t really a canonized Catholic saint! It’s true) may have an internationally known day named after him but there are at least 3 Irish females that, while lesser known, had a larger impact on Irish culture, thereby preserving it. If St. Patrick had truly been effective in erasing the culture of the Picts and Anglo-Saxons, we wouldn’t still know about or have information on these strong female energies. Let’s celebrate the ladies!
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The first is Danu, the mother goddess of the Tuatha de Danaan. Legends and myths name her the mother of the gods and the Sidhe, or faeries. She represented the earth and nature.
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The second is Éirinn or Éire which is the word for the island of Ireland in Irish Gaelic. It was often used in poetry to refer to the beloved land and has taken on a presence of its own through centuries. Either word often refers to the soul of Ireland. Phrases like “Éirinn go Brách” or the anglicized “Erin go Bragh” mean “Ireland Forever.”
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And third, there is of course my favorite, Brighid, goddess of healing, poetry, smithcraft, animals, home, and hearth. I could go on for pages about her but suffice it to say that her presence is all over Ireland and buried deep within the culture. She is an actual saint in the Catholic Church (St. Brighid) because they couldn’t get rid of Her! There are shrines and wells dedicated to Her all over the country and Her traditions were often carried with the Irish wherever they went. And as of 2023, Brighid has her own official Irish holiday: Feb. 1 Lá Fhéile Bríde.
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Éirinn go Brách and Slaínte! “To your health”
💚🤍💛🇮🇪💚🤍🧡
