Rónán Mullen (Independent) | Oireachtas source

I wish everybody a very happy St. Brigid's Day. I have great sympathy with Ciarán Mac Guill, scoláire agus fear Gaelach, writing from France in The Irish Timesduring the week. He writes that until now, St. Brigid's feast day has been an authentic, community celebration of the historical Brigid, a fifth century abbess who founded monasteries and contributed enormously to the growth of the early Irish church. He says that it is paradoxical that brave new secular and politically correct Ireland should indulge in the hijacking and cultural appropriation of a religious feast day. We all know what a great modern sin cultural appropriation is supposed to be. It does a disrespect to the historical St. Patrick to go on too much about myths and legends about driving the snakes out of Ireland. In the same way, looking at our proceedings here, some would say that some of them came back.