New poster celebrates the Curacha

New poster celebrates the Curacha

The currach by Cathal McGinley on location at Inis Oirr. Photograph by Cormac Coyne.

A superb new colour poster has gone on sale to celebrate the ‘Curacha’ exhibition which marked the 21st birthday of Aras Eanna this summer.

Designed by Caomhan O Scolaí and Dara McGee, the poster features colour photos of all 21 currachs by Inis Oirr resident Cormac Coyne.

The posters are now on sale both on Inis Oirr and in Galway City.

Áras Éanna Ionad Ealaíne commissioned 21 artists to paint or decorate 21 steel and canvas currachs for an outdoors exhibition which took place all across Inis Oirr this summer.

The new ‘Curacha’ poster went on sale this week.

The artists invited to take part were Dolores Lyne, Alannah Robins, Naoise Sheridan, Áine Philips, Sean O Flaithearta, Margot Quinn, Pat Quinn, Ger Sweeney, Mick O’Dea, Kathleen Furey, Jennifer Cunnigham and Tim Acheson, Dara McGee, Breda Burns, John Behan RHA, Sadia Shoaib, Daniel Coleman, Sean Cathal O Coileán, Tom Meskell, Jay Murphy, Cathal McGinely, and Deirdre McKenna.

The President of NUI Galway, Ciarán Ó hÓgartaigh, then invited Áras Éanna to move the exhibition to the Quadrangle at NUI Galway for Culture Night, to mark the start of a new partnership between Áras Éanna and NUI Galway.

A total of 20 of the currachs are on display at the Quadrangle until October 10.

The 21st currach, by Oughterard-based Kathleen Furey, is on display inside Galway Cathedral. Kathleen hand-painted a tribute to a stained-glass window by Harry Clarke, who had a strong connection with the Aran Islands.

Artist Dolores Lyne with her currach and tea towel at NUI Galway on Culture Night. Photo by Ciaran Tierney.

You can pick up a ‘Curacha’ poster at Charlie Byrne’s Bookshop, Middle Street, and The Old Sea Dog, Cross Street, in Galway City.

The posters are also on sale at Siopa XL and Comhar Caomhán on the island.

In addition, one of the artists, Dolores Lyne, has designed a fantastic tea-towel based on her hand-painted currach. The tea towels are also on sale at The Old Sea Dog, at 11 Cross Street, in Galway City.

 

Some of the ‘Curacha’ artists with the President of NUI Galway, Ciaran O hOgartaigh at NUI Galway. Photo by Ciaran Tierney.

 

  • Words by Ciaran Tierney

Read more about the ‘Curacha’ exhibition at NUI Galway here:

https://aras-eanna.ie/en/the-currachs-have-moved-to-galway/