St. Brigid's Cross
Island Willow

The St. Brigid's cross is traditionally hung by the door and in the rafters of homes to protect the house from fire and evil. According to tradition, a new cross is made each St. Brigid's Day, and the old one is burned to protect the house from fire. It can also represent peace and goodwill, and it was even placed in cowsheds to safeguard animals and help cows to produce more milk.
St. Brigid, also known as “Mary of the Gael”, is an abbess and patroness of Ireland. She is furthermore the founder of the first Irish monastery in County Kildare, Ireland. Born in Dundalk in 450 AD, St. Brigid is accredited with first creating the unique cross which bears her name. This cross is normally hand-made from rushes or straw, however, our ones are made from willow, so they will last a lifetime.
Materials and care:
Each cross measures approx 24cm in diameter. As they are hand-made from home-grown willow and truly unique, the size will differ and the colour will change as it ages. Trish Killalea from Island Willow makes her crosses with a special weave on one side and finishes each arm of the cross with a Japanese knot.
Sustainability:
Because willow grows so quickly, it is naturally sustainable. This natural sustainability is enhanced by willow's resistance to disease which means that it needs very few chemical treatments. Trish grows and harvests all of her own willow at her home in Co. Wexford
If you like this......
You might also like the beautifully useful Garden Trug that Trish also makes for us
Our Story
Clare Grennan and Laura Caffrey established Irish Design Shop in 2008. A love of Irish craft and good design led these two jewellers to set up a retail space which offered customers both. Irish craft was witnessing a revival at this time, with a new breed of Irish designer/maker producing exciting, design-led products which embraced traditional and new techniques.
Irish Design Shop Newsletter
Subscribe to our free newsletter and be first to hear about new products, interesting people and events.