Reflections on visionary Irish women history had forgotten

A very special concert to commemorate the oft-forgotten Irish women of 1923 takes place in St Nicholas’ Church this Thursday December 7. Reflections is a celebration of the women sidelined from Irish history, and an artistic interpretation of the experiences that connect them to Irish women today. It is part of the Decade of Centenaries Programme that launched in 2012 and champions annual state commemorations.

The artists in residence on the Reflections programme are performance artist Áine Philips, poet Dr Emily Cullen and singer-songwriter Tracy Bruen.

Each will be presenting their work at St Nicholas’ alongside a host of other women collectives that have been pieced together throughout the project. They were commissioned by Galway City Council, Galway Public Libraries and Galway City Museum.

From Tracy’s perspective, collaboration and engagement were crucial to ensuring the legacy of Reflections.

“You could do a project like this and make life very easy for yourself in that you have a nice shiny product at the end of it,” she explains.

“But the authenticity of the Decade of Centenaries, and I suppose commemorations of women’s involvements in that historical period, it lends itself to maximum engagement of women in 2023.

“What we have been doing is we’re divided into three geographical areas. Áine Philips, who is an artist and performance artist, has been working in the east side of Galway City, with what has become known as the Dun Emer Eastside Collective. Over the last couple of months, they have been working on creating some absolutely stunning banners which are celebrating a hundred years of Irish women.

“They’re going to be paraded from the top of Shop Street at half past six on Thursday down to St Nicholas’ Church,” Tracy continues.

Pictured: Tracy Bruen...commemorative concert.