Artists collaborate for Clare holy well project

AN EVOCATIVE exhibition inspired by the holy wells of the Burren runs in North Clare until Sunday August 22.

Entitled ‘From the Well’, it is an immersive exhibition by composer Fiona Linnane and photographer Claire O’Rorke who have drawn on local stories sourced from the Cnuasach Bhéaloideas Éireann (The National Folklore Collection) and their own experiences “chasing wells across the Burren hills armed with a microphone and a camera”.

The show, in the atmospheric Newtown Castle at the Burren College of Art, also includes a specially produced sound walk exploring three water points in Ballyvaughan.

These can be heard online on Fiona Linnane’s SoundCloud account at any time up to Sunday as part of Heritage Week.

Central to the exhibition are three short films, entitled ‘holywells’, ‘I bought a hydrophone’, and ‘Some woman’.

Visitors will also be invited to share their own stories about the magical wells of the Burren, with the sage advice of never letting the truth get in the way of a good story.

Claire O’Rorke has been working as a photographer for 16 years now. She is currently based in Cork and spent the first lockdown in Ballyvaughan.

Fiona Linnane is a composer specialising in Opera and vocal music. Last year, she was recipient of the Art Council of Ireland Music Bursary Award. ‘From the Well’ is the second of three collaborations for her Arts Council bursary.

The exhibition is open daily 10am-5pm, but is closed on Wednesday, August 18. Admission is free and the event is suitable for all ages.

Fiona and Claire will be present at the exhibition for Water Heritage day on Sunday. The exhibition is supported by the Arts Council of Ireland Music Bursary Award with additional support by Clare Arts Office and the Burren College of Art.