Delia's St Brigid's Crosses make thousands for charity

A Mulhussey woman has made almost 1800 St Brigids crosses this year to raise funds for Debra Ireland, which caters for children with EB or 'Butterfly Skin'.

Delia Heneghan has made tens of thousands for charity over the past 17 years and raised €5,500 last year for the Jack and Jill foundation.

The iconic crosses, made from rushes from Delia and her brither Pat's own land, will be distributed at masses in Batterstown, Kilcloon and Little Chapel, Kilcock on Sunday and are also available from various shops around the locality.

The traditional hand-made crosses have been on display in homes in the Kilcloon /Batterstown Parish and further afield for years, thanks to Delias efforts.

Those taking one of the hand-made crosses are asked to make a contribution to Debra Ireland.

"I love making the crosses and I love that people like to display them in their homes," she says.

Over the last couple of weeks. Delia's brother, Pat has been collecting the rushes growing on their land, while Delia has been crafting them into St Brigid's Crosses

"We have rushes here on our land and sometimes get rushes from neighbouring farms. We were a dairy farms up to a few years ago, but now concentrate mainly on sheep," she explains.

"I've been doing this to raise money for charity for the past 17 years. I started making the crosses 20 years ago for the local holy well.

"St Brigid's Well is in our parish and I used to do it to raise the money for insurance for the well.

“Then I discovered I was making more money than was needed for the insurance and gave what was left over to charity.

"I decided 17 years ago to make lots more of them, make more money and give it to charity," she explains.

Delia has always had a devotion to St Brigid who is her patron saint. "I was baptised, Brigid Teresa Geraldine although my family always called me Delia.

"I'm honoured to now have a bank holiday in my honour," she jokes.

While many of us may have made St Brigid's crosses when we were at school, Brigid only learned the craft 22 years ago.

"A neighbour taught me and now I could do it in my sleep. I make them while I am watching television."

While Delia's fund raising skills are legendary, she is also very well known as 'The Lady On The Bridge' - she takes to the bridge over the M4 near Maynooth to support Mayo any year they qualify for the All-Ireland final.

"Our parents Thomas and Catherine were Mayo people, so we have Mayo blood in us and support the Meath team.We do it now whenever Mayo are playing in a final."