The old Irish tradition of Nollaig na mBan (Women’s Christmas) on Jan. 6 has been making a comeback in recent years. Our New York group keeps getting bigger and bigger every year. Inspiration, hope and strength were palpable as we went around the table at the Playwright restaurant in Manhattan sharing memories of last year and hopes for 2025.
I felt there was a focus this year on travel and finding ways to make the best of what life has to offer.
Karen told us about a hiking experience in Clare and Killarney this fall with beautiful sunshine. She recommended, a museum at 14 Henrietta St., a former Georgian mansion in Dublin that offers a moving social history.
Mary joined a good friend and flew to Athens, Greece, last summer. She also enjoyed visiting the beautiful Islands of Paros and Naxos before visiting family in Ireland.
Allyce, staying closer to home, loved sharing about the new adventures her nephews were embarking on in terms of jobs in other states.
Ann enjoyed visiting family in Cleveland, Ohio, and told us she spent a delightful holiday time there. On returning to New York she spotted the death notice of a well-known Cleveland native, Charles Dolan, who rose to fame in New York as founder of HBO & Cable television and a pioneer in the development of the Internet for entertainment.
Speaking of entertainment, Dee, a member of St. Patrick’s Cathedral choir, participated in the 45th Annual “A City Singing at Christmas,” where there were four separate choirs on the program. The Young People's Chorus of New York - founded by Francisco Nunez “always steal the show,” Dee said.
Maureen told us she joined the Origin Theatre Company board and described its mission promoting and presenting Irish-based theatre. She reminded us to look out for their annual fundraiser on Jan. 23 at the American Irish Historical Society.
As our server Lourdes brought Irish breakfast plates and other brunch favorites to the table, Nancy shared that she enjoyed learning to cook French cuisine this past year. While she found changing grams to U.S. measurements a bit awkward she plans on challenging herself this year.
Laura mentioned her first visit to Ireland in 20 years where she did “some great hiking.” Later when the talk turned to the uncertainty of the future, Laura suggested we read “Patriot: A Memoir,” by Russian opposition leader Alexei Navaly, who died in prison on Feb. 16, 2024. It’s “surprisingly uplifting,” she reported. Laura also recommended service to others as a way to feel better about life. She invited anyone interested in community work to volunteer at the soup kitchen at Advent Lutheran Church on the Upper West Side where she coordinates the volunteers. The contact is adventhungerteam@gmail.com.
I couldn’t agree more. My own volunteer work with teaching English as a second language has brought much joy to my life.
At some point, we were ready to enjoy Margaret McCarthy’s poetry – food for the soul. She read three poems from her poetry collection, "In the “Becoming: Poems on the Deirdre Story,” recently published by Broadstone Books and available with a publisher’s discount here.
Margaret shared how this was a “full circle” moment for her and that the process of publication involved “faith in your own work as it’s sent out into the world, and trust in its timing.” Sometimes, she said, “that timing turns out for the best.”
We celebrate Margaret’s creativity and are glad that Bridget, Érin, Janet, Kim and Kathleen chose this occasion to join our group. Bridget, an actress, told us her resolution of 2025 was “to take my life back." She hadn’t pursued much acting/theatre work in 2024 “as so much of my time was taken up with my survival jobs.” Along with many of us, Bridget hopes to get a better balance in her life this year.
We collected a generous donation for our Nollaig na mBan charity, the UNWLA – Ukrainian National Women’s League of America region-nyc@unwla.org and will present it to representatives of UNWLA at our St. Brigid’s Day celebration on Feb. 1.
And as we enter 2025 we’ll keep in mind the meaning behind the feast of Nollaig na mBan when women gathered to rest from labor and let each other know when help would be needed in each other’s family. Modern day groups gather to support each other too but also to celebrate creativity and women’s contribution to society. Let us recall those who came before us and offer a toast to strong inspirational women who paved the way to gain basic rights that we enjoy today.
