Ireland – Scottish Centre for Island Studies

UWS SCIS student Rachael Flynn is holding an art installation event relating to her doctoral research on Tuesday 4th December 2012. See details, information and contacts of this event by Rachael here:

I was writing to let you know that I am holding an event/gathering next Tuesday evening (4th of December) at 6:30pm at Film City (Old Govan Town Hall), Glasgow.

As you are aware I have been advertising and asking people around the world to submit names of women in their past who have made the trip from Ireland. These names have been growing as word has spread and are continuing to build a collection of names and memories (see http://www.irishwomenofourpast.co.uk ).

I have recently returned from a trip around Ireland visiting the ports which they would have departed from and lit candles at each site in their memory. The aim of this trip was to allow both herself and the relatives of these women to commemorate the migrant women’s departures from these sites.

On Tuesday ‘a sea’ of candles will be lit in memory of those Irish women who journeyed to other lands. As mentioned above this will take place at Film City (Old Govan Town Hall), Glasgow, close to the Broomielaw where some of the boats arriving from Ireland would moor, with Govan itself a site of considerable Irish migration. The collection of names of Irish women of our past has continued to grow with more women remembered and represented by their descendants across the Diaspora, and more and more of their stories being remembered, recognized and shared. Each of the women’s names sent to me will be represented by a small candle which will be lit within this temporary devotional space while the names of the women and the places they left are commemorated in a subtle video work close-by.

I will be filming the sea of candles and streaming online for those who have submitted the names to access with a password being able to see the event from any location, allowing them to witness the event on behalf of their relation. The original candle which I lit for my own grandmother in Donegal, and then lit at the various ports on my recent visit will sit amongst these other candles, adding to the “sea” of light – a simple but effective act of remembrance.

I will be continuing to collect names up to and post event so please continue to tell those who you feel may be intetrested.

Names can be submitted via my email address – Rachael.flynn@uws.ac.uk

through the website – irishwomenofourpast.co.uk

or via my postal address –

Rachael Flynn Office 2.004 Scottish Centre for Island Studies School of Creative & Cultural Industries University of the West of Scotland
University Avenue Ayr KA8 0SX Mobile: 07932 732498

If you have any questions or further thoughts please do not hessitate to get in touch.

IF YOU ARE INTERESTED IN ATTENDING YOU CAN RESERVE A FREE TICKET VIA EVENTBRITE –

http://irishwomenofourpastdecember2012.eventbrite.co.uk

You can also keep up to date with upcoming events via Twitter

Once again, a very heartfelt thanks to everyone,

Rachael

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‘A Sea of Candles’ SCIS Event by Rachael Flynn, UWS

SCIS PhD Student Rachael Flynn presents at Picture this: postcards and letters beyond text conference at the University of Sussex, March 2011.

Rachael Flynn presents at the Picture this: postcards and letters beyond text conference at the University of Sussex, March 2011.