Carrick-on-Suir Covid pandemic art project will be focus of Culture Night events

An art project that celebrated the lives of 22 people who died during the first three month long Covid-19 pandemic lockdown will be revisited on Culture Night in Carrick-on-Suir on Friday, September 20.

Linda Fahy, founder of the Tudor Artisan Hub collective of artists along with Margaret O'Brien and Mary McGrath of the Writing Changes Lives creative writing workshops, instigated the In Ár gCroithe Go Deo project in 2020.

Its aim was to give families from Carrick-on-Suir and surrounding communities bereaved during the first lockdown the opportunity to publicly celebrate and commemorate the lives of their deceased loved ones as public funeral ceremonies were prohibited during that time.

The end result was the Legacy Cross art installation on the gable wall of St Nicholas Church in Carrick-on-Suir covered in art works with accompanying name plaques honouring each of the 22 deceased people, In Ár gCroithe Go Deo, commemorates.

They died in the first months of the pandemic when funerals could only be attended by the close family members.

On either side of the cross are wooden plaques displaying the poems Love in Action composed by Margaret O’Brien and Vision 2020 by Mary McGrath.

The art works on the cross were accompanied by Love in Action themed poetry and prose pieces composed for each of the 22 deceased people by the writers of Writing Changes Lives.

For Culture Night next week, the Legacy Cross, which is situated on the church wall facing William Street Car Park, will be blessed at a ceremony at 6pm.

All are welcome to attend.

This ceremony will be followed by the screening of a short film called “The Making of In Ár gCroithe Go Deo” in Ormond Castle’s audio visual room at 6.30pm.

The artwork and name plaques on the Legacy Cross have been temporarily removed for touch up, restoration and varnishing ahead of the Culture Night event.

They will be reinstalled with new signage with a QR link to the project, enabling this unique arts installation to be viewed virtually.

The Making of In Ár gCroithe Go Deo film documents tells the story of how 45 visual artists and writers came together offering comfort to the bereaved families who lost a loved one under the unprecedented circumstances of the pandemic restrictions.

“The 2020 creative project disrupted the helplessness we had all felt at the callous nature of the Covid regulations, necessary as they were, which affected those in the most vulnerable of circumstances in our community,” said Tudor Artisan Hub founder Linda Fahy.

“As creatives, we could do something beautiful, we could offer the arts as a means of transcendence, celebration and renewal. In Ár gCroíthe Go Deo legacy project has clearly demonstrated the transformative and healing power of the creative arts.”

She pointed out that in addition to the film, there will be live spoken word pieces demonstrating ‘Love in Action’, the theme to which poems were specially written by writers from Writing Changes Lives for the initial installation in 2020.

Pre-booking is required for the Castle event as seats are limited. Priority booking has been given to families of the deceased people whose lives In Ár gCroíthe Go Deo celebrates.

The Tudor Artisan Hub will announce any seat availability a week prior to the event.The film will also be available to watch online.

The 22 deceased people who will be remembered at the In Ár gCroithe Go Deo blessing and film screening on Culture Night are: Laura Brazel, Tony Walsh, John (Jackie) Doherty, Kitty Hogan, Sarah Hawkins, Richard Walsh, George Coady, Anne Doherty, Tony Harris, Fr. Andy Kenny, Andy Ellis, Maurice Danby, Mary Wells, John O' Brien, Michael Ingoldsby, Peggy Casey, Rena Power, Margaret Maye, Patrick O'Gorman, Seamus Doherty, Tony Walsh and Ellen Power.

Linda Fahy thanked the 21 visual artists who took part in this special project. They are: John Davies, Athena Brownrigg, Bettina Norton, Roisin Duggan, Kathleen Farrell, Sheila Wood, Aislinn Duggan, Stephen Power, Renee Ni Gig, Patsy Choi, Breda Power, Juliana Gilbride, Laura Regan, Mia Carney, Sandra Power, Michaela Back, Tony Oakey, Catriona MacDonald, Teresa Moran, David Shee and Sophie Carpentieri.

She thanked the 18 amazing writers from Writing Changes Lives who created and recorded the most beautiful pieces of writing under the theme Love in Action for the project. They are: Margaret O'Brien; Breda Joyce; Eileen Acheson; Heather Wall; Mark Roper; Mary Hanrahan; Eileen Heneghan; Mary McGrath; Martine O'Donovan; Catherine Swords; Mawie Barrett; Benie Condon; Joanne McCarthy; Fionnuala O'Shea; John Corcoran; Kate Gordon; Heather Comerford and Anne Barton.

She also thanked Gay Brazel, Marian Ingoldsby and Matthew O'Tuama for their musical contributions.