St. Brigid - Trinity discussion examines her healing and renewing lessons

Trinity College Long Rooms Hub host a panel discussion "Brigit: A time for Renewal and Healing".  Who was the enigmatic Brigit and what lessons does her legend offer us today?

Christian saint or Celtic goddess, Brigit has long been associated with the spring season, representing renewal, healing, and fertility. But who was the enigmatic Brigit, Brigid, or Bríg, and what lessons does her legend offer us today? In the midst of a global pandemic that has shaken the world, can we find ways to generate hope from centuries-old wisdom and tradition? Join Trinity Long Room Hub (TLRH) for a conversation with Dr. Katherine Simms, Dr. Mary Condren, artist Rita Duffy,  Early Career Researcher Nandini Gupta, and Trinity Long Room Hub Director, Professor Eve Patten.

Rita Duffy, Artist in Residence at TLRH

Rita Duffy is an artist in residence at the Trinity Long Room Hub Arts and Humanities Institute. Born in Belfast, Rita was awarded a B.A. from the Art & Design Centre and an MA in Fine Art at the University of Ulster. She was elected to Aosdana in 2017. She is one of Northern Ireland's groundbreaking artists who began her work concentrating primarily on the figurative/narrative tradition. Her art is often autobiographical, including themes and images of Irish identity, history, and politics. Rita Duffy’s work has grown and evolved but remains intensely personal with overtones of the surreal.

"Anatomy of Hope" by Rita Duffy.

Professor Katharine Simms Ph.D, formerly Senior Lecturer in Medieval History

Professor Katharine Simms Ph.D. was Senior Lecturer in Medieval History at Trinity College Dublin until her retirement in 2010. She has written three books, From Kings to Warlords (1987), Medieval Gaelic Sources (2009), and Gaelic Ulster in the Middle Ages (2020) as well as numerous articles on Gaelic politics and society in later medieval Ireland, including several on the role of women, and the later commentaries on Brehon law tracts.

Dr. Mary Condren, Centre for Gender and Women’s Studies

Dr. Mary Condren is a Visiting Research Fellow and teaches at the Centre for Gender and Women’s Studies, in the School of Histories and Humanities, Trinity College Dublin. She is director of Woman Spirit Ireland and has organized and resourced Festivals of Brigit, in Ireland and North America, for over thirty years. 

* Originally published on Jan 27, 2021.