📖 Ancient Restoration

A pair of horses weather out the cold at Easky, County Sligo.

The Carrowmore megalithic cemetery in County Sligo is the largest in Ireland and amongst the oldest in Europe with dates going back to 4600 BC.

February 1st is the Feast of Saint Brigid of Kildare (Cill Dara, church of the oak), one of Ireland's patron saints. Known as "the Mary of the Gael", Brigid was born in Faughart/Fochart, north of Dundalk, County Louth to Brocca, a Pictish slave who was baptised by Saint Patrick. Brigid herself was thus born into slavery. During her childhood, it is said she performed several miracles, such as healing and feeding the poor. One account details how she gave away all of her mother's butter store, only for it to be replaced thanks to Brigid's prayers. Dubhthach, a chieftain of Leinster, was her father. He grew aggravated with her and took her to the King of Leinster, Crimthann mac Énnai, to sell her. While he was in conversation, Brigid gave away his sword which was adorned with jewelry to a beggar so that he could barter it for food. Crimthann recognised that this was a holy child he had been delivered, and instead convinced Dubhthach to grant her freedom.

'Meeting On The Turret Stairs' - Frederic William Burton, 1864 #ValentinesDay#IrishArt

The enjoining of hands around symbols of fertility is impressed deeply in the Irish psyche. Whether it's the modern heart or ancient cord.

1 Feb: Feastday of St Brigid (†524), abbess & founder of Kildare, one of three patron saints of Ireland. Her devotional names - 'lilium inter spinas' (a lily amongst thorns) - Muire na nGael (Mary of the Gaels).

English expansion into Ireland in the 12th c. encouraged a revival in Irish 'secular paganism'. The Bards predicted the rise of a liberator.

Gerald of Wales in his Irish histories writes in fear about a king-liberator called Aodh, who would arise to destroy the English invader.

Medieval poets foretold of a coming apocalyptic Irish king, who 'proclaimed by Nature herself',was destined to immortalise the Irish nation.

Aodh Eanghach is traditionally seen as the guardian of Irish sovereignty - He is the last and ideal ruler, to whom all kings were compared.