"You hear a lot about Travellers,” says Bridgie O’Reilly, “but you don't hear good things, not at all. Day to day, everyone is struggling - for somewhere to bring up your children, being a mother, and a parent, and living in the conditions we live in.”
Bridgie was one of 13 Traveller women, aged from their early twenties to sixties and based in halting sites across Limerick city, who took part in the a new exhibition entitled Home. The thought-provoking, and now award-nominated exhibition, was developed from an outreach programme based at the Hunt Museum, Limerick, with support from the Limerick city Traveller Health Advocacy Programme.
Using museum artefacts as a source for ideas, 13 women from the Travelling community worked with well-known artist Róisín de Buitléar to create beautiful and unique pieces around the theme of Home. Through the medium of glass the participants produced exhibition pieces exploring the subject of home. The exhibition reflects themes such as faith, community, housing and family, and also some of the challenges that living on a halting site can bring.
Róisín de Buitléar is also responsible for the beautiful and striking painted glass scenes and scriptural artwork in the entrance halls of the recently refurbished Knock Basilica. The Home exhibition runs at Knock Museum until August 28 and all are welcome. The museum is open daily from 10am to 6pm.
For more information call (094 ) 9375034, email: [email protected], or log on to www.knock-shrine.ie/events
