Women’s Mini Marathon
Georgia Snow running in Women’s Mini Marathon for Solas Bhride Centre We are delighted Georgia has chosen Solas Bhride as her designated charity from the sponsorship she will receive when she participates in the Women’s Mini Marathon in Dublin on Monday, June 1st. Georgia has shared with us her reasons for choosing Solas Bhride on her sponsorship page on the MyCharity.ie website. “Thanks for visiting my personal fundraising page. This is the first race I’ve EVER entered! The charity that I have chosen to support, Solas Bhride, is very near and dear to my heart and I would very much appreciate your support in helping me to raise funds for them. I got involved with Solas Bhride on my second visit to Ireland and have wanted to help them raise money for their St Brigid centre and hermitage for a long time You can donate using the “sponsor me now” button below via credit or debit card. You can be assured that your transaction on the mycharity.ie website is very secure. You will automatically receive an e-mail from me thanking you for your support, and acknowledging the amount of your donation. Any donation no matter how small is hugely appreciated.” If you would like to sponsor Georgia and help her reach her target you can check out her fundraising page (http://www.mycharity.ie/event/georgia_snows_event/) We done Georgia and a big thank you from Solas Bhride. Celebrating Earth Day, April 22nd Solas Bhride marked international Earth Day on April 22nd by planting oak saplings in the grounds of the new Centre. On Earth Day individuals or groups around the world perform acts of service to the earth on this day. The Story of the Oaks It is recorded in the Brigidine Sisters annals that Bishop Daniel Delany when establishing the Congregration in Tullow, Co. Carlow on St. Brigid’s Day in 1807 travelled to Kildare, got an oak sapling and planted it in the convent grounds stating that he was not founding a new congregation, but was restoring the ancient order of St. Brigid to the diocese of Kildare & Leighlin. Little saplings have been nurtured from acorns taken from that oak tree and on an International pilgrimage as part of the Bicentenary Celebration on the 7/07/2007 seven oak saplings were symbolically planted on the site of the new Centre, having been carried in pilgrimage from Tullow, Co. Carlow. These saplings have been carefully nurtured in the intervening years waiting patiently to be permanently planted at the Centre. Theresa Kilmurray planted the first sapling symbolising 2008 years of Brigidine life Michael Leydon, John Moloughney and Betty McDonald plant the second sapling. The oak is being planted representing all the pilgrims who have come to Solas Bhride and all those pilgrims who will come into the future. A young student from St. Brigid’s Primary School, Kildare town, planted the third sapling representing all young people of the world. Annette McCormack plants the fourth sapling which she symbolically placed in the ground in 2007 representing artists, musicians and poets. Annette has sculptured St. Brigid at the well and also a bust of Bishop Daniel Delany. Mary and Phil planted the fifth oak for all those who worked on creating this new centre and all who work in the centre, now and into the future. A further 16 saplings were planting by members of the local community
Celebrating Biodiversity
Quiet Reflection and Meditation Entering into darkness, stillness, beyond time, beyond space. Waiting and listening, Until filled with that Mysterious Presence that reaches the depths within. Come and join us for an hour of quiet and relaxation. Venue: Solas Bhride Centre, Tully Road Time: Monday Evenings – 8.00 p.m. – 9.00 p.m Admission: Free Friday 22nd May -Biodiversity day Solas Bhride Centre and Hermitages is delighted to host an event during Kildare Heritage week, organised through Kildare County Council Heritage Office, as part of International Biodiversity day. Programme for the Day 10am -12.00 noon Event for Children with Kate Egan – a morning of fun biodiversity games and activities Places are limited for the event and therefore must be booked in advance. Call Celine on 980239 or email coneill@kildarecoco.ie to book. Please note for this event all children must be accompanied by a responsible adult. 3pm -4pm Catherine Keena, Teagasc Countryside Management Specialist & John Muldowney, Dept of Agriculture Climate Change Division Catherine will present the amazing biodiversity of the Irish countryside. John will give an overview of how climate change will affect agriculture and farming. 6.45pm – Biodiversity Bus Bus will depart from Solas Bhride. Hop on the biodiversity bus hosted by Kildare Tidy Towns and visit internationally significant natural heritage sites of the Curragh and Pollardstown Fen. Dr Mary O’Connor will introduce the flora and fauna of these interesting sites. Places are limited for the event and therefore must be booked in advance. Call Celine on 980239 or email coneill@kildarecoco.ie to book. 8.30pm – Dusk Chorus at Pollardstown Fen with Kildare BirdWatch A programme of the events of Kildare Heritage week is available in all libraries and for full listing of events go to the Kildare County Council website www.kildare.ie/countycouncil/ Saturday, May 23 rd – Experience the Dawn Chorus at St. Brigid’s Well 5.00 a.m. Assemble at Solas Bhride, Tully Road, Kildare Town, Co. Kildare “Beauty does not linger, it only visits. Yet beauty’s visitation affects us and invites us into its rhythm, it calls us to feel, think, and act beautifully in the world: to create and live a life that awakens the Beautiful. Beauty is a gentle but urgent call to awaken.” Beauty: The Invisible Embrace, John O’Donohue Short walk to St. Brigid’s Well June 21st , Summer Solstice Time: To be confirmed Venue: Solas Bhride Centre
