At Home and Abroad

Eithne Heffernan: Imbolc - St Brigid of Kildare In honour of St. Brigid’s Day and Imbolc Celebration, the Ireland Canada Chamber of Commerce Toronto and the Canada Ireland Foundation hosted a roundtable on St. Brigid’s Day Imbolc Celebration. Rooted in the spirit of St. Brigid and Imbolc - a symbol of creativity, enterprise, and renewal - this event celebrates women who are leading change, driving progress, and building meaningful impact across sectors. Eithne Heffernan! Born in Castlecomer, Co. Kilkenny, Eithne has spent her life championing Irish‑Canadian community leadership. A former teacher and touring harpist, she later served as Director of Programmes at the Ontario Science Centre and managed two Toronto animal hospitals. A founding member of the @iccc_to and the Canadian Folk Harp Association, she has held leadership roles across numerous Irish organizations, including the Ireland Funds and the Irish Immigration and Benevolent Societies. Eithne also served as Honorary Consul of Ireland to Toronto and has been recognized as St. Patrick’s Parade Grand Marshal, Irish Person of the Year, and with honours from the University of Toronto and St. Michael’s College. For the theme of this event, Eithne represents Civic Life.