This project brought together a talented team of artists and community members, all deeply invested in celebrating Ennistymon’s rich artistic heritage and fostering a vibrant future. Éanna Byrt was the project lead and facilitator. He is the curator of the Courthouse Gallery and Studios, with over 20 years of experience in the arts, project management, and community projects.
Éanna was trained through the Clare Arts Office in the development of collaborative community murals by Sara Foust, a philosophy that formed the core of delivering this community mural.
The Courthouse Gallery is the current hub of the vibrant arts community in North Clare, facilitating youth workshops, artist training, and providing necessary resources to the arts community.
Community Involvement and Rationale
This project drew inspiration from the legacy of “Ennistymon ’84,” a seminal community arts initiative that transformed Ennistymon through creative collaboration and cultural innovation. By revisiting this legacy, the project aimed to
- celebrate the vibrant artistic community
- collaborate with individuals who organised the Ennistymon ’84 project, a groundbreaking initiative that set a national precedent for arts in community development
- engage new generations
- foster a spirit of inclusivity, creativity, and cultural continuity by bringing together original participants of the Ennistymon ’84 project with new artists and community members
- foster creative expression and collaboration as an outcome and the natural development of an independent project bringing together the participants of Ennistymon ’84, through hosted workshops that allowed participants to create artworks in response to Ennistymon and their personal experiences, fostering community engagement and preserving the town’s cultural heritage. The purpose of these workshops was to allow participants to explore their own creative practice and develop unique standalone artworks.
The output from these sessions informed the development of themes and compositions for the mural within this project, reflecting the town’s rich history and dynamic future and spirit of evolution. The mural aims to serve as a beacon for Ennistymon’s bright future, emphasising themes of unity, community building, and inclusivity.
Broader Community Involvement
The project was supported by several key community stakeholders, providing in-kind contributions crucial to its success:
- Unglerts Bakery: The car park wall of Unglerts Bakery, run by Stephan Unglert, an immigrant to the town since the 1980s, hosts the mural. Stephan’s business is a well-established institution in Ennistymon.
- Cullinans and Sons Hardware: Facilitated sponsorship from Dulux Ireland, providing the necessary paints for the mural.
- Hayes Printers: Assisted with promotional materials and documentation of the mural process.
- Ennistymon Plant Hire: Provided scaffolding required for the mural installation.
Historical Context:
The “Ennistymon ’84” project, conceptualised by Marian Fitzgibbon, then midwest regional arts officer, aimed to rectify the imbalance of visual arts concentrated in Ireland’s cities by revitalising a rural community through art.
Activities such as murals, a sculpture playground, exhibitions, and workshops engaged the community and fostered a greater appreciation of visual arts and demonstrated unprecedented collaboration between public and private entities, breaking down bureaucratic barriers and showcasing the potential of community-driven art initiatives.
It left lasting visual impressions, nurtured latent talents, and fostered a new appreciation for the visual arts within the community. It also highlighted the importance of ongoing support and infrastructure for community arts.
By aligning this project with the principles and successes of “Ennistymon ’84,” the mural aimed to continue this legacy, creating a lasting impact that celebrates the town’s artistic heritage and future potential.
