ABOUT LÁ FHÉILE BRÍDE | CELEBRATION OF WOMEN AND CREATIVITY AND BLOODROOT
In Ireland, 1 February marks the beginning of spring and the celebration of Lá Fhéile Bríde, St Brigid’s Day. The day has long symbolised hope, renewal and the feminine. Since 2018, Irish Embassies and Consulates across the world have been marking the day by celebrating the creativity of women, through a broad programme of events. From Wellington to Warsaw, Sydney to Santiago, London to Lisbon, Ireland’s diplomatic network, in partnership with local communities is celebrating the remarkable contribution women have made – and continue to make - across the world.
Hamilton Gallery has curated three major exhibitions involving hundreds of women artists, in association with Irish Embassies around the world for this celebration. Previous exhibitions, themed on the lives and work of women writers Leland Bardwell, Eiléan Ní Chuilleanáin and Eva Gore-Booth have been shown in London, Beijing, Dublin, Berlin and New York.
This year, our open call exhibition, was opened in the International city of Peace and Justice, The Hague, The Netherlands. It was themed on the poetry of Annemarie Ní Churreáin. Four poems were selected by Annemarie from her powerful debut collection Bloodroot as the inspirational and thematic springboard for participating artists.
The selected poems are as follows:
Six Ways to Wash Your Hands (Ayliffe, 1978) for the Mother and Baby Homes Commission of Investigation,
Bog Medicine,
Sisters,
Market Prayer.
Inspired by these four poems women artists working throughout Ireland submitted 419 artworks for Bloodroot. 110 of these artworks are included in the final selection for the exhibition.
Following the enormous success and popularity of the Lá Fhéile Bríde celebrations in The Hague the exhibition opened in Sligo as part of International Womens Day, March 8th.
Bloodroot | Absinthe & Absence open in Sligo
Marian Harkin TD, Minister of State at the Department of Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science opens Bloodroot \ 110 Women Artists alongside Absinthe and Absence by Jackie Hudson Lalor at Hamilton Gallery Sligo.
The event marked International Womens Day.
Bloodroot | The Hague | Photo Gallery
