A large brat bhríde made by a group of Laois women will be a focal point in Dublin's GPO this St Brigid's Day.

For those who may not know, a brat bhríde is a piece of cloth, a shawl or a scarf that is traditionally left outside the night before St Brigid's Day. It was believed that St Brigid would bless the brat bhríde as she passes, and the shawl- much like Brigid's cloak- would protect the wearer for the year.

Women across Ireland made their brat bhrídes and left them outside for St Brigid to bless. While the tradition is now faltering with time, a Portarlington woman is spearheading workshops to keep this tradition alive.

Pictured: Portarlington woman Rita O'Loughlin, founder of My Brat Bhríde, in the GPO with the commemorative postcards, signs and flyers of the Brat Bhríde which hangs proudly in the background. Rita and a group of 15 local women made this Brat Bhríde in the Dunamaise Arts Centre in 2025.

Rita O'Loughlin, founder of 'My Brat Bhríde', worked with a group of Portlaoise women to make a large 32 square brat bhríde. An Post have chosen to display this stunning creation in the GPO, along with commemorative post cards of the piece.

"We are so delighted that it will be displayed in the GPO, An Post have gone above and beyond in printing postcards of it too," Ms O'Loughlin told the Leinster Express / Laois Live.

"I have helped them design a stamp of the St Brigid's cross in the past, this is a huge honor for all of us who worked on the brat bhríde. To know that it is a group of Laois women who have made this, is very special too. It is from Laois, and has made its way to the GPO.

"I worked with around 12 local women in the Dunamaise Arts Centre to make this over several weeks, it was sponsored kindly by David Broderick of Creative Ireland. David was so fantastic in supporting this, he made it so easy," she said.

"Each of the women also made their own personal brat bhríde alongside the large one. Our intention was to have 32 squares for each county, and the heart in the middle represents Brigid's love for us all.

Pictured: The Laois women who made the stunning Brat Bhríde with Portarlington's Rita O'Loughlin

"I work a lot with women up the north too, and I am working in Belfast this weekend. Women up north can often feel disconnected from our celebrations, when they were raised with these traditions too. After it is displayed in the GPO, we are hoping to display the brat bhríde in the four corners of Ireland, in each province," Ms O'Loughlin explained.

"The brat bhríde is huge, I don't think the photos do it justice. It really is amazing to have it hanging in such an iconic building that is so rich in history."

Ms O'Loughlin was taught the tradition of making brat bhríde's by her mother, and it is a tradition she keeps close to her heart.

"My connection to it is linked to my mother, it came about only because my Mam started the tradition and and taught me. Her mother died in childbirth, it was never something my grandmother passed to my mother- my Mam was a creative woman, and she created her own version," Ms O'Loughlin explained.

St Brigid means many different things to many people. For some, she is the Catholic Patroness saint of Ireland. For others, she is the pagan goddess Brigid, associated with Imbolc, healing and protection.

"For my mother, Brigid was the saint- for me, she is the goddess," Ms O'Loughlin said.

Pictured: Rita O'Loughlin with one of many signs in the GPO explaining the stunning brat bhríde made by Laois women

"I connect her to the land and nature, when I am outside in nature I feel her energy the most. Some connect her to the divine feminine energy, I have never felt that myself. I am of the belief that when people talk about the goddess Éiru, they mean the land. It births our food, that's how I read the old scripts and stories. I think Brigid is similar," she said.

"The people years ago who worshipped the old pagan gods like Éiru and Brigid, they were looking after the land and readying it for the next seed for spring, they were connected to the land. That is what Brigid represents for me- what spring can offer," Ms O'Loughlin said.

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"I don't tend to distinguish the goddess from the saint, or the divine feminine. She can manifest for you however she manifests- no one is right, and no on is wrong.

"Some people feel a feminine energy when they meditate, we are all different- it is the same in the workshops I run. When possible, we try to sit outside on the ground. It is not possible to sew the land, but it feels like we are sewing the land's healing into the cloth, the way you would sew seeds," she explained.

Ms O'Loughlin will be running a special brat bhríde meditation and healing event on Saturday night in Portarlington, January 31. Attendees will stitch their brat bhrídes, clear their energies and express their gratitude towards the land.

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"We will be doing it in a small wooded area with minimal intrusion, and we are lucky to have a land healer from Newgrange coming to do a healing. We will offer gratitude to the land, and we are going to plant a tree back as an offering.

"We will hang our brat bhrídes on the altar where they can all be blessed, and we have some bards coming with music and lore, along with some chakra cleansing facilitators," Ms O'Loughlin said.

"It will be a very quiet and mindful event, if you do not own a brat bhríde bring a scarf and we can make one. For us, this isn't about the people taking part, it's about celebrating the land. It's minimal and it feels really special. Creative Ireland have kindly sponsored a tent for us on the night," Ms O'Loughlin praised.

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"We would love to see a day where people wear their brat bhrídes on St Brigid's day, to the shops, on their errands or to work," Ms O'Loughlin finished.

The brat bhríde session in Portarlington will take place from 7pm to 10:30. Those interested in taking part must contact My Brat Bhríde on Instagram to book a place.