Brigid or Bridget – St. Brigid’s Day

Let’s cut to the chase: St. Brigid’s Day celebrates St. Brigid.

She lived circa the years 451 – 525. Yes, she was a real person.

Her name is referred to as Brigid officially in Ireland in the Irish language. It would be incorrect to spell her name as Bridget. You may see references to “Brigit”, but I would venture to say that’s at least not a standard way to refer to her in English.

Ireland has a public holiday each February to mark St. Brigid’s Day.

Bríd: Brigid in the Irish Language

Of more interest to us here at Bitesize Irish and our learners is how to say her name in the Irish language.

In the modern Irish language, it’s fine to refer to Brigid in the modern spelling of Naomh Bríd (St. Brigid).

Bríd is a name that survives today.

What about “Bríde”

Without getting stuck in grammar, you may have seen the form “Bríde” of her name, such as Lá Fhéile Bríde.

“Bríde” is the genitive form of “Bríd”. To say “The Festival of Brigid” we literally say “Lá Fhéile Bríde”.

Older spellings of Bríd

While Bríd is the standard spelling of St. Brigid in Irish, you may also see older spellings.

You may also see the spelling of Brighid, which is an older spelling of the modern Bríd spelling. As spelling was standardised in the Irish language, many words were shortened in their spelling.

More St. Brigid and the Irish language

You can see our articles on St. Brigid in the Irish langauge, including the origins and some celetebrations for St. Brigid’s Day.