Killeigh’s history being brought to life through community art project
A unique community arts initiative is helping residents of Killeigh celebrate and preserve the village’s rich heritage, folklore, and personal stories through visual storytelling.
The project titled 'Visual Stories of Killeigh', a Creative Ireland-funded project launched in April, is bringing together local people to explore the identity and history of the village through a series of collaborative artworks.
Led by visual artist Teresa Doyle and developed in partnership with the Killeigh Community Centre Development Committee, the project encourages participants to transform local stories into small-scale, three-dimensional pieces of art.
Weekly workshops at Killeigh Community Centre have seen participants experiment with textiles, light woodwork, collage, and mixed-media techniques. The emphasis has been on creativity, conversation, and shared learning, providing an inclusive space where people of all backgrounds can connect with one another and their community.
The project highlights a range of stories that reflect Killeigh’s unique cultural heritage.
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Anne, Doris, and Sandra are recreating the story of the Seven Blessed Wells.Image 2 of 4
The artwork of The Seven Blessed Wells.Image 3 of 4
Mary is developing a piece based on the Schools’ Collection, a vast archive of folklore and local history recorded by schoolchildren during the 1930s.Image 4 of 4
Members Greta and Michael are creating an artwork inspired by the village’s remarkable ecclesiastical history.Members Greta and Michael are creating an artwork inspired by the village’s remarkable ecclesiastical history. Killeigh was a significant monastic settlement for more than a thousand years, with its monastery founded by St. Sincheall in the early sixth century.
Elsewhere, Anne, Doris, and Sandra are recreating the story of the Seven Blessed Wells, while Mary is developing a piece based on the Schools’ Collection, a vast archive of folklore and local history recorded by schoolchildren during the 1930s.
For Mary, the project has been especially meaningful. While researching the collection, she discovered stories written by her mother, Sarah Dunne, and was moved to see her handwriting preserved from her school days in Killeigh.
Marie and Brenda are also working on an artwork that recalls a warm welcome extended by Brenda’s late grandmother, Mrs. Plunkett, to Marie when she first moved to the area in the early 1970s.
Their piece reflects the tradition of gifting “jam jugs” as a gesture of hospitality and celebrates a treasured family collection of porcelain and delph jugs.
The project will conclude with a public exhibition during National Heritage Week, which takes place from Saturday, August 15, to Sunday, August 23.