I was awarded the Limerick International Printmakers Award where I spent ten days in November 2021 as their Artist in Residence. My time there was spent researching local folklore and creating screen prints inspired by my findings.
I produced three screen print editions of three different tales from Limerick.
'Áine'
'Áine was the Ancient Irish goddess of the sun, wealth and sovereignty. She was said to live under the waters of Lough Gur, where she knits the fabric of the land with green wool. If she stops knitting, the world will come to an end.
'Gra Mathair'
Irish Gaelic translation: 'A Mother's Love'
This is a story of a woman who was rumoured to be a witch, who lived beside a lough (loch or lake) with her son. Her son loved to swim in the lough every day, but one day he tragically drowned. Torn apart with grief, the woman grew to a great height and stormed across the land. She sought out a hill that she could carry back to the lough to fill it, so no one could suffer the same fate. When she reached the hill, she took a great chunk and carried it back in her apron. However, just before she reached the lough, her apron strings snapped and the rock landed just beside the lough. To this day, the rock still lies there.
'Biddy Early'
Biddy Early, born in County Clare, 1798, was renowned across Ireland for her healing skills. She was said to have spent time with the Aos Sí (fairy people) when she was a child, where they taught her their language and skills. She carried a mysterious black bottle with her until she died; she would look into its dark liquid and fortel a person's fate - and if they could be cured or not.
Further Research
There were certain pieces of research that I didn't get around to making work from during the course of the ten day residency - but will seek to use for future work.
When I was beginning my research, I was pointed in the direction by Limerick Printmakers to the lovely folks at the Mens Shed in Limerick. They kindly allowed me to attend one of their evening group activities - in this case they were learning to lino print - and I sat down and asked them some questions. The following recording is one of the men telling me about his experience of the infamous Banshee.
Banshees
Banshees Transcript
Q: Do either of you know anything about banshees?
A: Banshees? When I was growing up we always thought that at the top of, there was a narrow road at the top, they were all old houses, and there was a field behind them - the orchards were all up there - we were told there was a Banshee up there, to stop us going there in the dark, to frighten us. There were supposed to be Banshees up there.
