Yeats Weekend, Sligo
Celebrating 150 years since the birth of William Butler Yeats...
"Entwined Memories" Exhibition - A selected exhibition by members of the Design and Crafts Council of Ireland, traveled to The Model Sligo and was in situ for all the Yeats celebrations....I was duty bound to check it out! The exhibition looked fantastic in The Model, it received a warm Sligo welcome...so many lovely comments about all the work.
"Entwined Memories" at the Model, Sligo
There was so much going on over the weekend it was a challenge to fit it all in....
Lisadell House
It was all happening at Lisadell House where they were having a big birthday bash for W.B. Yeats, who had spent a lot of time at Lisadell, I can understand why, the house is beautiful and the setting along the Atlantic shores is stunning.
Lots of media figures had turned up to read some of Yeats poetry...
Anne Doyle
Senator David Norris
Brian Dobson
Prize giving for Lisadell Art Competition...Congratulations to Ian Carty.
First prize went to a beautiful painting of Hazelwood
The gardens at Lisadell
Time to stop off for a quick coffee and browse around Rathcormac Craft Village
Vintage Lane Tea Room
Lots of quirky features in the tearoom and a wonderful selection of cakes!
Got a chance to see woodturner Colm Brennan at work
A sample of Colm's beautiful work
Ian Carty from Ian Carty Ceramics pictured at the shop at Lisadell House. Ian's studio is also at Rathcormac Craft Village
There's a market at Rathcormack on Saturdays with lots of locally produced food and crafts...I was drawn to the locally made chocolate! I can verify, this is really good chocolate!
Next stop was Drumcliff which is just across the road
The Church at Drumcliff and Teach Bán Gallery
There was a lovely textile exhibition in Teach Bán by The Textile Collective - a collective of textile artists from around the Sligo area.
Alison Hunter from the Textile Collective, centre with Mary Whelan DCCOI and Donegal Textile Artist Bernie Murphy
Alison showing us a lovely interactive project they had running for the duration of the exhibition - visitors were invited to add their mark to the cloth, inspired by the poem "He Wishes for the Cloths of Heaven"
I had to take a closer look at the rhodedendrons...
This lovely old cottage looks like it's wearing a hat!
There was another textile exhibition on at the Nazareth Nursing Home featuring the work of Theresa Kelly and Bernie Gallagher entitiled 'The Light and the Half Light' inspired by a W.B. Yeats poem.
Also happening at the Nazareth as part of the Lily Lolly Craftfest was a weekend workshop with Philippa Turnbull who specializes in historic crewel work embroidery.
Evening was drawing in and I still had to find The Isle of Inisfree....so back on the road...
Got there just as the sun was setting on the 150th Anniversary of the birth of W.B. Yeats, how wonderful. This was an art installation that was due to be placed on the Island, but there were a few technical problems and it got no further than the jetty. I think it framed the island perfectly!
Another day....lots more to see. Tobernalt Holy Well is a beautifully maintained well and an oasis of calm not far from Sligo town.
On towards Hazelwood....
All that's missing is the 'Gone Fishing' sign!
Classiebawn Castle at Mullaghmore with Benbulben in the background
Then drove around Benbulben towards Glencar Waterfall
Can anyone be more relaxed?
Stopped off on the way home at Lough Owel just outside Mullingar. There's a beautiful sculpture there by Linda Brunker inspired by the Children of Lir