Art@Work 2009
In July/Aug 2009 I participated in a residency at Cruachan Aí Visitors Centre in Tulsk, Co. Roscommon as part of the Art@Work program. I was interested in this residency because it was based on one of the most historically important sites associated with ancient Irish history and mythology. I also had the opptoruinity to work alongside archaeologists from the Irish Discovery Program and gain insight into contemporary archeological techniques used in scientifically interpretating knowledges of place. What I learned through working on an archaeological dig, I hoped to apply to my own ideosyncratic fieldwork, as I explored how the contemporay living culture interconnected with the stories, histories and myths connected with the place.The residency was carried out over a 6 week period. My process, informed by psychogeopgraphy, included mapping my journeys through drawing, photography and a number of short video interviews. The starting point was always a story, either known of the place depicted or related by the people I encountered there. While on residency in Roscommon I was also told about a 'miraculous' tree in a churchyard in Rathkeale, which was causing quite a commotion in July 2009. For me it was a perfect example of the re-generation of living myth within the popular belief system of contemporary society, so I decided to include this in the series also. A selection of the completed works were presented as an exhibition for Culture Night in Roscommon, at Cruachan Ai in Sept/Oct 09, with a subsequent series of photographs being used by the Irish Discovery Program.

Interview