Council Celebrates Heritage Through Art at launch of ‘Our Place Our Townlands’ Exhibition

Older people from across Fermanagh and Omagh recently participated in an art project funded by the Arts Council Northern Ireland, Fermanagh and Omagh District Council in association with South West Age Partnership. Titled ‘Our Place, Our Townlands’, the initiative invited participants to delve into the history and origins of local placenames and townlands, using these stories as inspiration for their artwork. The resulting pieces are now on display at Enniskillen Castle and are free for the public to enjoy until 4 November 2024.

Artists Morag Donald and Bee Smith, alongside Fermanagh and Omagh District Council’s Irish Language Officer, facilitated workshops exploring connections to the land, the Townlands and their meanings. A creative writing session was used to evoke memories and images that could manifest into textile artwork.

Participants from Beragh, Cashel, Coa and Kinawley then worked with the artists for a period of six weeks to create interpretations of their place, their townland with fabric collage and stitch. A series of over 30 pieces of both individual and group works were created and are available to view at the ‘Our Place, Our Townlands’, exhibition.

Councillor John McClaughry, Chair of Fermanagh and Omagh District Council attended the launch and said,
“Our townlands are unique and are of great historical significance as they date back many generations. They describe the land, purpose, stories and folklore of the area, therefore, they are an important part of our culture and heritage.

The Council is committed to promoting and preserving the townlands and placenames in our District and this project contributes towards the achievement of this. I hope it will inspire others to use their creativity to capture the meaning and importance of their townland.”

Within the Fermanagh and Omagh District Council area there are 2883 Townlands, which can be as small as 100 acres and as big as 300 acres. The majority of Townland names come from the Irish Language, with some originating in Ulster Scots, English and others which have been named under Viking influence. Townland names can be influenced by a number of factors including geographical structures or environments in the townland, the flora or fauna which grow well in the Townland, historical events or mythological stories of the area.

Fermanagh and Omagh District Council support the continued use of Townlands in addresses and the ‘Our Place, Our Townlands’ exhibition is part of a programme of work by the Council to raise awareness of Townlands and help the public explore this part of their heritage. The Council’s Irish language Officer works with local community groups to explore the rich and often unique local heritage contained in local placenames.

Contact Gaeilge@fermanaghomagh.com for more information.

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Editors notes;
South West Age Partnership is the network for older people in the Fermanagh Omagh District Council area. They provide support to groups and to individuals in the district. SWAP runs activities and programmes to engage older people, to challenge them to try something new and generally positively influence their lives.