Doc to celebrate St Brigid

A Cork-based singer and a university lecturer will both feature in a new TV documentary celebrating St Brigid and the women of Ireland this weekend.

Airing on TG4 this Sunday evening, ‘Ardóidh mé mo Sheol - Lá Le Bríde’ will explore Brigid’s life, myths, traditions and influences with the help of an ensemble cast of Irish musicians, poets, mythologists and academics.

Presented by TV personality Síle Ní Bhraonáin and sean-nós singer Eoghan Ó Ceannabháin, the 75 minute documentary will mark Ireland’s first bank holiday weekend in St Brigid’s honour. UCC lecturer Emma Nic Cárthaigh will bring her expertise in medieval Ireland to the show. She has been studying Irish language and history for almost 30 years and has been at the Department of Early and Medieval Irish in UCC since 2015.

Then, Cork singer Precious Abimbola, who has origins in Nigeria, will share her golden voice through a selection of songs. Precious went to Gaelscoil Uí Dhrisceoil primary school and then went on to Coláiste an Phiarsaigh.

She is currently in second year at MTU Cork School of Music doing a degree in musical theatre. Having felt a strong connection to Brigid as a young person growing up in Ireland, Precious picked Bríd as her confirmation name when she was in 6th class.

Filmed in front of a live audience in the majestic surroundings of St Brigid’s Cathedral, Kildare town, on the very grounds that Brigid is said to have established a church and monastery in 480 AD, the documentary will also feature music from T with the Maggies, Tara Erraught, John Francis Flynn and Paddy Keenan playing together for the first time, Ceol na mBan, and The Nás na Rí Singers.

‘Ardóidh mé mo Sheol - Lá Le Bríde’ will air at 9.30pm on Sunday on TG4.