Brigid's Day Breakfast - Bricfeasta Lá Fhéile Bríde
“I am more than happy to celebrate a mythical or otherwise fabulous and feisty Irish woman" – Emily Reilly, European Ombudsman
In a celebration of St. Brigid's Day, on February 1st, the Permanent Representation of Ireland to the European Union and The Irish Embassy in Belgium, in collaboration with Ibec Global, hosted a breakfast at The Nine, Belgium's first female-focused private members’ club.
The breakfast served as a community-building event, bringing Irish women based in Brussels together to celebrate Saint Brigid, one of Ireland's three patron saints and Ireland’s most important female saint. The invitation spanned a broad spectrum, welcoming women from early career stages to those in top decision-making positions.
Three distinguished women welcomed and spoke to the attendees. Among them were Cáit Moran, the Irish Permanent Representative to the Political and Security Committee (PSC); Jackie King, the Executive Director of Ibec; and Emily O'Reilly, European Ombudsman. Emily O'Reilly delivered a keynote speech, where she acknowledged the role of Irish women in the EU. She addressed the upcoming referendum on women in the home and women in Irish society in general and she further touched upon themes of family and the current political climate.