Nollaig na mBan Shona Daoibh

Things have (thankfully) changed so much since we first started celebrating Nollaig na mBan; for that, we're incredibly grateful, but that doesn't mean we have to stop celebrating.

I think Nollaig na mBan is a beautiful way to acknowledge the power and the resilience of Irish women, but also celebrate the sisterhood unique to our little island. There's something so special about Irish women, and Marian Keyes summed it up beautifully when she spoke to Irish Country Magazine about how proud she is of Irish women:

"I am so proud that we found the courage to stand up for ourselves after we were silenced for so long. That my mother had to give up work when she got married, that we couldn’t hire a telly or open a bank account without the signature of our husbands. That priests told us to be ashamed for wanting to leave our abusive husbands or not have any more children. The courage it has taken us to dismantle all of that stuff, bearing in mind that we have been riddled with manmade shame that was not earned or deserved.

“How we endured all of that and stayed good humoured, and buoyant, and hopeful, and funny. I think we’re fabulous. Nobody is as lovely or as funny as an Irish woman. There’s a real sweetness to us as well that’s quite unusual."

Our generation is louder, more independent, and somewhat more respected, but that is only due to the women who came before us. The women who celebrated Nollaig na mBan through the years, and claimed back that one day to celebrate everything that is so wonderful about Irish women - their heart, their wit, their ability to always keep their heads up, their strength, their kind nature, and their drive to use their voices.

The number of Irish women who led the way is now impossible to count. We've got so many role models, so many leaders, so many great women to lean on, to look up to, to be inspired by, whether it's CMAT, Kate O'Connor, Sinead Burke, Catherine Connolly, Rhasidat Adeleke, Ellen Keane, Emma Dabiri, Nikita Hand, Jazzy, Marian Keyes, Ríon Hannora, or the late Vicky Phelan.

Mná na hÉireann are finally being recognised, listened to, acknowledged, and respected. And that's something that should be celebrated on Nollaig na mBan.

Nollaig na mBan is a tradition that should change with the times, and not one we should abandon completely, because there was a time when Irish women were never listened to, or acknowledged or even respected, so let's take ownership of this tradition, and simply make it our own. Nollaig na mBan isn't about skipping out of our homes and leaving piles of dirty dishes behind for our husbands, but a day where Mná na hÉireann should take a minute to stop and reflect on how far we've come, and the remarkable things this sisterhood will continue to change as the years go by.

The sisterhood shared amongst the women of Ireland fuels us. I've seen it during the Repeal the 8th campaign, at marches against gender based violence, and on the day Catherine Connolly was elected president. I've seen it when Vicky Phelan first spoke out, when women gathered at vigils in honour of Ashling Murphy, and when we stood by Nikita Hand and ensured victims knew they were never alone.

But I've also seen it in work when the girls gather together over glasses of wine to listen to one another's issues. I've seen it when women rally together through every life milestone, whether that's a breakup, a pregnancy, the loss of a parent, a move abroad, a new job, or an engagement. I've seen it on nights out when we lend each other perfume, chewing gums, and always make sure to text each other once we get home.

As Vicky Phelan said so beautifully, "I think when women help other women, we're at our best, and that is the way to go...When we help each other out, we're better than any men."

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