Many of Ireland’s leading women in music are lined up to participate in what promises to be a very special celebration of the legend of Brigid – a Pagan goddess and a Christian saint who is symbolic of the power, strength and independence of women in Ireland.
Further details about the highly anticipated Brigid 1500 celebrations have been revealed today – including the line-up of spectacular Irish women set to play the special Nothing Compares events in Co. Kildare, taking place between January 27 and February 4.
Across the festival, you can look forward to performances from Imelda May, Denise Chaila, Eleanor McEvoy, Moya Brennan, Mary Coughlan, Camille O’Sullivan, Gemma Hayes, Una Healy, Loah, Nell Mescal, HamsandwicH, Róisín O, Niamh Regan, Tolü Makay, Pauline Scanlon, Lisa Lambe, Jess Kav, Toshín, and The Henry Girls, as well as Laura Whitmore on MC duties – plus more yet to be announced.
The various Nothing Compares events – which are part of the Brigid 1500 programme, and are presented by Hot Press and Kildare County Council – are unique and joyful celebrations of Irish women artists. They include:
The Mother Earth Food Symposium (Saturday, January 27. 11am):
A culinary delight with a host of talks, workshops and demonstrations featuring leading Irish women in food at The Wonderful Barn, Leixlip.
Line-up: Dee Laffan, Karen Ward, Chantelle Nicholson, Holly Loftus, Catherine Cleary, Jess Murphy, Rose Green, Majken Bech-Bailey, Ali Dunworth, Darina Allen, Julia Hemingway and Darcie Mayland, with more to be added
The Wonderful Barn Show: MOTHER EARTH (Saturday, January 27. 8pm):
A star-studded show featuring songs on the theme of ‘Mother Earth’ at The Wonderful Barn, Leixlip
Line-up: Denise Chaila, Gemma Hayes, Una Healy, Róisín O and Tolü Makay
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We Shall Overcome (Tuesday, January 30. 8pm):
A concert centred around songs of social justice and freedom at Athy Library
Line-up: Eleanor McEvoy, Mary Coughlan, Pauline Scanlon, Jess Kav, Toshín and introducing IF (from Athy)
Nothing Compares – In Concert (Thursday, February 1. 8pm):
A night of extraordinary, genre-spanning music by Irish women at The Moat Theatre, Naas – with Laura Whitmore featuring as MC
Line-up: Imelda May, HamsandwicH, Camille O’Sullivan, Niamh Regan and Nell Mescal
She Moves Through The Fair (Sunday, February 4. 8pm):
A special event in St Brigid’s Cathedral, Kildare, featuring traditional and contemporary songs about Irish women
Line-up: Moya Brennan, Loah, Lisa Lambe and The Henry Girls (plus more to be announced)
Denise Chaila. Credit: Liam Murphy
Nothing Compares has partnered with Teach Tearmainn, a charity supporting women and children affected by domestic violence in Kildare and Wicklow, who will receive a contribution from ticket sales.
In addition to these events, there will be a plethora of free activities and performances across the county for tourists and locals alike:
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HerStory light shows will feature at prominent locations around the county incuding Clane, Newbridge, and Athy, as well as Naas Potato Market and the new Naas Library and Cultural Centre.
LUXE Landscape Theatre will lead two grand fiery processional events to celebrate Brigid, which will take place in the towns of Maynooth and Kildare over the bank holiday weekend – the latter to tie in with the concert in St. Brigid’s Cathedral, Kildare.
Riverdance is set to be a featured act at the family event to take place at the scenic Curragh Racecourse on February 3. As part of the line-up, Riverdance will deliver a captivating performance, alongside other acts that will be joining the festivities. The visual spectacle will combine dance and theatre while honouring the rich cultural heritage of Ireland.
The main activities across the Brigid 1500 programme take place in the weeks around the Brigid’s Day public holiday – which celebrates both the goddess Brigid and St Brigid, who founded a monastery in Kildare town. The Brigid 1500 programme will celebrate St. Brigid: A Woman, A Life, A Legacy and the enduring impact of her life and her work.
The overall programme will bring together artists, performers, enthusiasts, communities and visitors to celebrate Brigid in a contemporary and modern way – “with something for everyone, from the poignant, to the spectacular.”
The full festival programme of events can be found on brigid1500.ie
“This programme beautifully weaves together the rich tapestry of our cultural heritage, and we look forward to witnessing the magic it brings to Kildare, capturing the essence of St. Brigid’s legacy and the remarkable contributions of Irish women in the arts,” comments Sonya Kavanagh, CEO of Kildare County Council.
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The music events follow the success of last year’s inaugural Nothing Compares: A Celebration of Irish Women Artists – a concert curated by Hot Press, with performances in the Moat Theatre, and events also happening in St. David’s Church of Ireland Church and The Potato Market.
“This promises to be a very special series,” Mairin Sheehy, Production Director of Hot Press, says of Nothing Compares. “Women are increasingly taking their place at the forefront of Irish music – and, as people will see from the line-up, for Nothing Compares 2024, we have been able to bring together a hugely talented and brilliantly independent selection of female performers, for what will be a real celebration of Irish women artists.
“The artists will explore different themes in the four locations where events take place – at The Wonderful Barn in Leixlip, the Library in Athy, in Naas on Brigid’s Day itself and in the Cathedral in Kildare. We’re really looking forward to it.”
Tickets for this year’s ticketed events go on sale at 8am on Tuesday, January 9th, via hotpress.com/nothingcompares. Given last year’s rapid sell-out, the public is encouraged to act quickly due to the limited availability of tickets.
For more information and updates on the programme, visit brigid1500.ie and all Brigid 1500 social media channels.
Credit: Julien Behal Photography
