Tag: St Brigid

Exhibition: Symbols of Ireland Opens this Sunday – Plus 2 Sneak Peeks

Published on by Feltmakers Ireland
Poster for Feltmakers Ireland's group exhibition 'Symbols of Ireland' - Artwork a green felted Brigid's Cross by member Jane Fox.

Feltmakers Ireland’s group exhibition opens this Sunday! We are thrilled to announce that Sabina Higgins will officially launch the event at 3 PM.

For this year’s exhibition theme, ‘Symbols of Ireland’, we invited members to explore and interpret it in their own unique way. The exhibition showcases a diverse and inspiring collection of wall art, sculptures, and wearable pieces—all crafted from sheep’s wool. The works feature a variety of felting techniques, including wet felting, needle felting, and even combinations of both, highlighting the creativity and skill of our members.

We are especially delighted to see a growing use of Irish wool, a cause close to our hearts. In fact, our book, ‘Exploring Irish Wool for Feltmaking’, was born from our passion for this remarkable sustainable material.

To whet your appetite for the exhibition, we continue on sharing some Sneak Peeks!

Sneak Peeks

A close-up of Anne Heavey‘s piece – ‘Fadó Fadó’

Anne was inspired by the following:

“A look back into Ireland’s past through the eyes of the Dolmen. Ancient structures that date back to the Neolithic period, 4000 BC to 2500 BC. This ancient symbol represents the history of the Irish people emerging from hunter-gatherers to a more permanent settled life. Agriculture and the domestication of animals emerged, along with the construction of these dolmens, mostly used as burial tombs, while others were part of a territorial marker.
Under 200 dolmens remain dotted around Ireland, and were immersed into Irish mythological stories and folklore, such as Diarmuid and Grainne’s bed, whereas others are associated with graves of famous giants or warriors such as the Finna and Fionn Mac Cunhall.

The most famous and photographed is the Poulnabrone, Burren Co Clare; the largest is Brownshill, Co Carlow. These structures were usually erected with tall portal stones in the front and two at the back, with a large capstone resting at an angle on the portal stones. In ancient times, cairns would have been erected in front of the entrance, but now have been scattered over time. A picture at the Burren with my mom inspired me to use this symbol.”

Find Anne on Instagram: @ainenanknits

A close-up of the piece by Helena Mc Guinness – ‘Round Tower’


Helena was inspired by the following:

“I live in the village with the oldest Round Tower in Ireland.
A visitors centre has been built on the grounds just behind the tower.
It has a lovely garden and a house showcasing the area’s history.
It is in the village of Clondalkin, Dublin 22. It is well worth a visit.”

A link to the Clondalkin Tower Visitor’s Centre website provides additional information – https://www.dublinsoutdoors.ie/round-tower-clondalkin-village/

Disclaimer for Feltmakers Ireland Blog

Feltmakers Ireland aims to share information about awards, education, events, exhibitions, and opportunities that you will find interesting. Our sharing is neither paid for by nor an endorsement of these individuals or organisations.

Contact Us: If you have any concerns about content, please email us at feltmakersie@gmail.com.

Questions: For questions about content, please follow the link to the organisation involved in hosting the event.

Exhibition: Symbols of Ireland – Opens in Less than a Week

Published on by Feltmakers Ireland
A sneak peek of Breda Fay’s ‘Anois Teacht an Earraigh  / It’s springtime‘

Feltmakers Ireland’s group exhibition will open in less than a week, and we are so excited. There are almost 50 pieces of artwork (47, to be precise) from our members.

The theme of this year’s show is ‘Symbols of Ireland’. Guild member Breda Fay has created her piece inspired by Brigid’s Crosses, which are traditionally made from rush materials.

Here is her inspiration:

“The feast of Brigid is an important date in my calendar, not just because she’s my namesake but because February 1st, her Feast Day, heralds the beginning of Springtime with lengthening brighter days. For as long as I can remember, I have made Brigid’s Crosses from rushes gathered the day before, and one has hung in a prominent place in my home”. – Breda Fay

 The exhibition opens on Sunday, the 2nd of March at 3 PM. Sabina Higgins will officially launch* the show. {For those living outside of Ireland, Mrs Higgins is the spouse of the President of Ireland, Michael Higgins}.

The exhibition runs from Wednesday, the 5th of March, to Sunday, the 30th of March 30th, 2025, at the Phoenix Park Visitor Centre Gallery. Currently, the Visitor Centre – and hence the Gallery – is closed on Mondays and Tuesdays. If Centre staff become available, we may be able to open the exhibition on these days. Stay tuned to our blog and social media for further updates. 

@feltmakers_ireland

https://www.facebook.com/feltmakersireland

*Provisional upon her schedule.

Disclaimer for Feltmakers Ireland Blog

Feltmakers Ireland aims to share information about awards, education, events, exhibitions, and opportunities that you will find interesting. Our sharing is neither paid for by nor an endorsement of these individuals or organisations.

Contact Us: If you have any concerns about content, please email us at feltmakersie@gmail.com.

Questions: For questions about content, please follow the link to the organisation involved in hosting the event.

Exhibition: Karena Ryan has Art in Group Show -The Hague (Netherlands)

Published on by Feltmakers Ireland

Feltmakers Ireland member Karena Ryan‘s piece, ‘Redemption in Red,’ has been selected for the ‘Bloodroot’ group exhibition. Over 100 female Irish artists explore themes of human relationships and belonging through their work. The Hamilton Gallery and the Embassy of Ireland, Netherlands, present the exhibition. It opens at the Pulchri Studio, in their Klinkenberg Galleries in The Hague (Netherlands), on the 22nd of January and runs until February 5th. It celebrates women, creativity, and Lá Fhéile Bríde (Bridgid’s Day).

The exhibition is inspired by the poetry of Annemarie Ní Churreáin, who selected four powerful poems from her debut collection ‘Bloodroot’.

Six Ways to Wash Your Hands (Ayliffe, 1978) for the Mother and Baby Homes Commission of Investigation
Bog Medicine
Sisters
Market Prayer

‘Redemption in Red’, symbolises a deeply personal act of redemption and remembrance. The hand-embroidered portrait of Karena Ryan’s daughter celebrates her innocence, hope, and the freedom to begin life with love and dignity—something denied to the children in the nearby Tuam Mother and Baby Home. As a mother, she seeks to give comfort and solace to the mothers of the institutions who mourn, honouring their pain and loss.

“The act of hand stitching is meditative and embodies care and compassion, a contrast to the neglect the children and mothers endured. The red thread is a symbol of connection, love, and remembrance. It represents the bond between mother and child and the shared humanity that connects us to those who suffered in the Mother and Baby Homes.” – Karena Ryan, artist.

To see the pieces and read the poetry, visit the Hamilton Gallery’s website – https://hamiltongallery.ie/bloodroot-la-fheile-bride-2025-the-hague

Instagram links: @karenaryantextiles @hamilton.gallery @pulchristudio @irelandinnl @annemarienichurreain

Disclaimer for Feltmakers Ireland Blog

Feltmakers Ireland aims to share information about awards, education, events, exhibitions, and opportunities that you will find interesting. Our sharing is neither paid for by nor an endorsement of these individuals or organisations.

Contact Us: If you have any concerns about content, please email us at feltmakersie@gmail.com.

Questions: For questions about content, please follow the link to the organisation involved in hosting the event.

Review: St Brigid’s Cloaks- Brigid 1500 – Kildare Town

Published on by Feltmakers Ireland1 Comment

All photographs are by Breda Fay, except for the Cathedral window by Tamzen Lundy.

Written by Feltmakers Ireland guild member Breda Fay

I took a trip to nearby Kildare town on Saturday, the 27th of January, to visit the launch of the Brigid’s Cloaks exhibition. I love “launches” as they usually provide an opportunity to talk to the artist and I was not disappointed here.

It was a pleasure to meet the manager/director of this project, Lorna McCormack, of the Wool in School programme. From my days [as an educator] “at the chalkface” I have been impressed with the ethos of this school programme, aligned closely with local culture and heritage and Sustainable Development Goals 2030.

Lorna introduced me to lead Artist Michelle Hickey Legge, who described the works. The focus was on using locally sourced Irish wool and sustainable resources. Four stunning St Brigid’s Cloaks were crafted “with an all-encompassing approach to wool heritage and art”, Lorna explained. “With a focus on an all-island approach involving many generations, people across Ireland came together and immersed themselves in heritage crafts and community connections”. Lorna had some amusing stories about how the children chose the placement of their work. She also pointed out some interesting features I might have missed: a knitted piece from one of Seamus Heaney’s aran jumpers featured; one of the cloaks had Brigid Cross motifs included.

A total of 925 were involved, including 250 local school children from the town of Kildare who made pompoms, covered CDs, pieces of wool lace and knitting, each placed onto a cloak.

St Brigid’s Cloaks is a community artwork developed by Wool in School in association with Creative Ireland and Kildare County Council. The exhibition runs until April and will tour the country afterwards.

Where: St Brigid’s Cathedral, Kildare Town.

When: through April 2024, with the cloaks then touring the country.

There is a short video on Instagram of the installation of the show- https://www.instagram.com/reel/C2zPBxII-tH/?igsh=azMxNWJodzlhdWI4

For more information, visit the Wool in School website – https://woolinschool.com/

Editor’s note: Thank you so much, Breda, for sharing your visit to the launch of St Brigid’s Cloaks in the Cathedral in Kildare Town. We love having articles by our community members. If you are a guild member and have an interesting textile event to share, please email us at feltmakersie@gmail.com

Review: Brigid 1500 Art Trail in Kildare

Published on by Feltmakers Ireland

Written by Guild Member Breda Fay

Unravelling an Icon

How could a BREDA not be excited by a Brigid ‘s festival, especially if it’s only 15 km over the road?

Former Feltmakers Ireland chair, Breda Fay, in Kildare town.

On Saturday, I attended the launch of Sult Arists‘ “Unravelling an Icon” in Kildare town, an exciting art exhibition that transformed a town square into an open-air art gallery. Twenty local businesses bought into the idea of exhibiting sixty works in a wide variety of mediums/media of national and international artists in their windows as part of Brigid 1500 celebrations.

A free map and catalogue were available, as well as hot chocolate, cake and savouries (donations to Medicins sans Frontieres). I’m attaching a map in case you are interested and they’re not available later.

How to Find the Artworks

Map of the Artist Trail
Venues that have art.

The Opening

Niamh Wycherly of Maynooth University opened the exhibition with an impressive account of Brigid’s life and works. {There is a short video of her opening on the Sult Artists’ Instagram page – https://www.instagram.com/p/C2nDS0xM9Pp/ }

Despite the cold weather, it was great to meet many friends and/or exhibitors and chat about arty stuff: Liadain Butler, who introduced me to felt many moons ago, Tamzen Lundy and Aisling Hassett from Feltmakers Ireland, muinteoirí (teachers) from Newbridge, and the singers from Kill.

Artwork from Feltmakers Ireland’s Guild Members

Piece by Liadain Butler.
Piece by Tamzen Lundy
Piece by Aisling Hassett
‘ ‘The Shepherdess’ by Theresa Carroll

The exhibition is on for a month…. well worth a visit. There are some lovely coffee shops and eateries in the town square. {It runs through Sunday, the 18th of February}.

Additionally, there is an online art gallery of each piece in the show, which includes the artists’ details, titles of each piece, medium, and social media/links - https://sultartists.com/brigid-1500

To see more of the Feltmakers Ireland members’ works, visit the following links:

Thank you ever so much, Breda, for visiting Kildare to see the Art Trail in Kildare town! We appreciate learning more about the exhibition. – the editors. To learn more about Breda, visit her blog – https://bredafay.com/

Exhibition: Unravelling an Icon, Celebrating and Remembering Brigid and her Legacy – an Open Air Art Trail- Kildare Town

Published on by Feltmakers Ireland

By Tamzen Lundy

Kildare Town will be transformed into an open-air art gallery where more than 20 local businesses will exhibit 60 works of international and national art in their windows as part of the Brigid 1500 celebrations in the new year.

This uniquely accessible art exhibition, titled “Unravelling an Icon, Celebrating and Remembering Brigid and her Legacy,” was organized by Sult Artist-led Collective.

The trail is based in Kildare, reflecting the traditions, customs, and symbols associated with Brigid’s legacy. It marks the 1500th anniversary of Brigid’s death in February 2024.

I’m so happy to have a piece selected for the exhibition; following an international open call in May this year, 215 pieces of art were submitted by artists from all over the world. Sult Artists, a member of Co. Kildare Arts Service, as well as a curator from IMMA, had the difficult task of shortlisting down to the successful applicants.

The idea behind the exhibition is to make art as accessible as possible and create more opportunities for people to interact with art. We hope the local community and visitors coming to the town will really enjoy the artworks and learn more about Brigid.

The exhibition includes paintings, ceramics, photography, film, sculpture, animation, printmaking, stitching, felting, weaving, digital art, stained glass, drawing, embroidery, mosaic, mixed media, batik and textile work.

There will be a map of the free Brigid 1500 Art Trail.

When: The show opens at 4 PM on January 27th and runs through February 19th, 2024.

Where: the shop windows and streets of Kildare Town.

Feltmakers Ireland members Tamzen Lundy, Aisling Hassett, Liadain Butler, and Theresa Carroll have pieces in the show.

Tamzen’s artwork is on the left, and Aisling’s is on the right.

Liadain’s piece is on the left, and Theresa’s is on the right.

There is an article about the art trail in the Kildare Nationalist newspaper – https://kildare-nationalist.ie/2023/12/22/kildare-town-will-become-an-open-air-art-gallery-to-celebrate-brigid-1500/

If you have a piece in the art trail AND are a member of Feltmakers Ireland, please let us know –feltmakersie@gmail.com

Exhibition: Four St Brigid’s Cloaks – Kildare

Published on by Feltmakers Ireland

Open viewing of four St Brigid’s Cloaks unveiled in St Brigid’s Cathedral, in conjunction with the Brigid 1500 celebrations across the county.

St Brigid’s Cloaks is a community artwork developed by Wool in School, in association with Creative Ireland and Kildare County Council. These four stunning St Brigid’s Cloaks were crafted with an all-encompassing approach to wool heritage and art.

This project, managed by Director Lorna McCormack and lead Artist Michelle Hickey Legge, focused on using locally sourced Irish-grown wool and sustainable resources aligning with the ethos of Wool in School and several of the Sustainable Development Goals 2030.

This contemporary manifestation of St Brigid’s cloak highlights the value of knitting as a creative past-time which is beneficial for the health and well-being of everyone living in Ireland’s community and will create a beautiful backdrop to the celebrations and commemoration of the legacy of St Brigid at St Brigid’s Cathedral in Kildare Town in 2024.

When: the 27th of January, 2024, from 11:00 AM – 3:00 PM.

Where: St Brigid’s Cathedral, Kildare.

There is additional information in this news article – https://kildare-nationalist.ie/2024/01/23/kildare-artwork-st-brigids-cloaks/

Disclaimer for Feltmakers Ireland Blog

Feltmakers Ireland aims to share information about awards, education, events, exhibitions, and opportunities that you will find interesting. Our sharing is neither paid for by nor an endorsement of these individuals or organisations.

Contact Us: If you have any concerns about content, please email us at feltmakersie@gmail.com.

Questions: For questions about content, please follow the link to the organisation involved in hosting the event.