CARRYING THE SONGS
Open Call exhibition themed on the poem by Moya Cannon.
About the open call
In February 2026, the Embassy of Ireland, The Netherlands, in collaboration with Hamilton Gallery Sligo and Pulchri Studio, The Hague, invited submissions for an exhibition of new paintings by artists resident either on the island of Ireland or in The Netherlands.
Submissions were to be themed on Carrying the Songs, a poem by Irish poet Moya Cannon. The poem is a prescient meditation on how music and song can be one of very few things people bring with them when forced from their homes, or to abandon their native country.
Artists were asked to create and submit up to 2 original artworks themed on this poem. The response and resulting exhibition features 285 original artworks of which 204 were by Irish artists.
The exhibition Carrying The Songs was presented at Pulchri Studio, The Hague, The Netherlands from July 4th to July 27th 2026. It was opened by Ambassador Dr Ann Derwin, Embassy of Ireland to the Netherlands on July 4th. The presentation of the exhibition was central to celebrations marking the launch of Ireland’s Presidency of the Council of the European Union from July - December 2026.
Hamilton Gallery is now pleased to present all art work created by the artists resident on the island of Ireland that were included in the exhibition in The Hague. The exhibition has evolved to include new artworks, replacing those that were sold n the original exhibition.
Carrying the Songs runs from Saturday October 3rd to Saturday October 24th.
Carrying the Songs
by Moya Cannon
For Triona and Mairéad Ni Dhomhnaill
Those in power write the history, those who suffer write the songs - Frank Harte
It was always those with little else to carry who carried the songs
to Babylon,
to the Mississippi -
some of these last possessed less than nothing
did not own their own bodies
yet, three centuries later,
deep rhythms from Africa,
stowed in their hearts, their bones,
carry the world's songs.
For those who left my county,
girls from Downings and the Rosses
who followed herring boats north to Shetland
gutting the sea's silver as they went
or boys from Ranafast who took the Derry boat,
who slept over a rope in a bothy,
songs were their souls' currency
the pure metal of their hearts,
to be exchanged for other gold,
other songs which rang out true and bright
when flung down
upon the deal boards of their days.
Carrying The Songs - The Exhibition
The exhibition comprises 286 individual artworks. They are presented in alphabetical order based on the artists surname.
Carrying The Songs
Reception to Launch Irelands EU Presidency - July 4th 2026
Photo Gallery by Studio Dijkgraff
About Moya Cannon
Moya Cannon is an Irish poet with six previous collections. In 2021 Carcanet published her Collected Poems.
She was born and grew up in Co. Donegal, received a BA in History and Politics from University College, Dublin, and an MPhil in International Relations from Corpus Christi College, Cambridge.
A recipient of the inaugural Brendan Behan Award and of the O’Shaughnessy Award, she was Heimbold Professor of Irish Studies at Villanova University.
In 2004 Moya Cannon was elected to Áosdána, the affiliation of Irish creative artists.
Carcanet Press
Carrying the Songs has kindly been made available for this event by the publishers Carcanet Press.
Medium: Watercolour on Wood
Dimensions: 30×30×2cm
Year: 2026