The Kerryman (South Kerry Edition)
Tradition falls foul of Covid
THE BIDDY TRADITION MAY BE HALTED THIS YEAR BUT MIKE COFFEY IS MAINTAINING HIS ROLE, CREATING BIDDY HATS.
SUCH is the important of the Biddy tradition in Mid-Kerry that is has been given official recognition by the Irish Government but this year the annual festivities will be curtailed amid the ongoing pandemic.
Covid restrictions have resulted in a host of traditional events being cancelled and the latest will be the tradition of the Biddy in Kerry, particularly in Mid-Kerry where the Kilgobnet Biddy Group, one of many in the area, has long played a role in the flourishing tradition.
The Biddy tradition was granted official state recognition when the Government included it on a list of 30 unique practises of Irish ‘living cultural heritage’ in its permanent National Inventory of Intangible Cultural Heritage, in 2019.
The Biddy tradition is unique to the region. Biddy groups travel to houses in each area to provide entertainment and a blessing on the house to mark the start of spring. This takes place in early February, the first day of which is St Brigid’s Day.
The biddy tradition dates back to the Celtic festival of Imbolc and is linked to the start of spring and the fertility of animals for the spring months
Traditionally, a visit from the Biddy guaranteed good luck, fertility, and prosperity, while receiving no visit was thought to be a very ominous sign indeed.
While its dates back thousands of years, the most recent Kilgobnet Biddy group has been visiting households in Beaufort for more than 60 years but this year is the first break in that tradition.
“We do feel a bit down about it. We miss the craic and the build up before and after. It is a tradition that goes back hundreds of years and it is pity. A lot of houses will miss it and it is lovely to keep the tradition up,” said Mike Coffey.
Mike, who was named ‘King of the Biddies’ at the Killorglin Biddy Festival – an event started in recent years to celebrate the various Biddy Groups across Mid Kerry – has strong links with the Biddy tradition in his native Beaufort and with the Kilgobnet Biddy group, not least as his role is to make the traditional Biddy hats worn for the occasion and woven out of straw and pampas grass. There are different types of Biddy hats, which have been adapted for suitability over the years. The traditional Biddy hats are often too cumbersome for wearing for performance and the pampas grass is known to be rather messy, sticking to curtains and furniture when performing in houses – so smaller hats are also hand-crafted.
Despite no plans for the Biddy this year, Mike has maintained his own tradition, passing away the Covid lock-down by hand-crafting the hats. These can take up to day to fully finish.
For Mike the tradition must continue despite Covid and they will be ready for next year, if nothing else.
“I have nine or 10 made this year but I have stock that can be re-used. I have about 150 hats. I always make a few to pass on the tradition to the younger generations. There are younger sons and daughters of the group who are interested,” says Mike and this interest, thankfully, is also supported in local national schools including Kilgobnet where hand-made St Brigid’s crosses are crafted.
Legend has it that St Brigid made the crosses from rushes while explaining Christian beliefs to a pagan who was dying.
“The teachers are very good at passing it on .. The children make the crosses better than myself. They do them in a lot of schools. .. I have been to a lot of schools and it is amazing the questions that the children hop off me,” explained Mike.
The tradition crosses the generations and has resulted in a host of musicians, many of them from the younger generation, who provide entertainment as they travel from house to house on January 31 and February 1 to mark the start of the harvest for the year ahead.
While this year will be different, the Biddy tradition has also changed somewhat over the years. For instance, there are no longer prizes for the best dressed or the best performance, the results of which may, at times, have led to unhealthy competition between neighbours and friends, as Mike explains.
“You’d have a lot less friends coming up to it, but competition is gone and no bloody harm!” But thankfully, the Biddy tradition is not gone. “We’ll fare better next year though the clock is against me. I was born in 1940,” Mike added with a smile.