Past Events
Cavan County Museum recently held a number of events which reached out to the community and were great successes.
Donovan Days
Cavan County Museum and Cavan County Council Arts Office are delighted to announce a very special Donovan celebration entitled ‘Donovan Days’ from 10-12 July 2009 at Cavan County Museum, Ballyjamesduff.
Donovan was at the vanguard of the pop revolution of the 1960s, when his songs became the soundtrack for a generation. A poet and artist, he was the writer and performer of classic hits such as Catch the Wind, Mellow Yellow and Sunshine Superman. A close associate of The Beatles, he travelled with the group to India in 1968, where he gave John Lennon guitar lessons. Hurdy Gurdy Man, another classic Donovan track, featured members of Led Zeppelin before they became famous.
Special and exciting events will take place over the weekend in Ballyjamesduff, they include:
Friday 10th July
launch of an exhibition of Donovan’s artwork, a collection of Sapphographs for their European unveiling in Cavan in association with Govinda Gallery, Washington DC and curated by Chris Murray. This exhibition is dedicated to and inspired by the Greek poet Sappho . Contributors to the catalogue include Gregory Nagy, Director of the Centre for Hellenic Studies, Harvard Professor and a fore most scholar on Sappho.
Saturday 11th July
a concert in tribute to Donovan at the Museum. This will be a celebration of Donovan’s influences the Scottish and Irish Celtic traditions and his legacy. Donovan will perform some of his best-loved songs at this concert as a Special Guest. Other guests on the night will include Sean Ó Sé, the renowned singer and performer from west Cork; Noel Battle, 12 times All-Ireland mouth organ champion, and Seamus Fay, Cavan’s lilter, along with the Nyah musicians.
Sunday 12th July
a screening of the award winning Donovan documentary ‘Sunshine Superman’ will take place at Ramor Theatre, Virginia, followed by a rare Q&A session with Donovan moderated by Chris Murray, Govinda Gallery.
This very special celebratory event will be complemented with an exciting and varied line up of workshops and performances for children and adults at the museum complex. It’s a unique opportunity to meet a living legend in intimate surroundings as he shares his music, song and art with us. You won’t want to miss this once off celebration of the life and art of the unique force in world culture that is Donovan! Further details Cavan County Museum 049 8544070.
Kiln Art
‘Kiln Art’ by Maire Egan along with her students past and present – June 25th 8 p.m.
Ever Since
Adrian Colwell, Drumrora, Crosserlough and Patricia McCormack, Mountnugent are currently in their 2nd year in Dun Laoghaire Institute of Art, Design and Technology studying Visual Arts Practice.
Since moving to Dublin, and beginning their course, their art practice has changed significantly. Both are now majoring in photography, performance, video and sound. These media have influenced their approach to subject matters they dealt with when they last exhibited at the Museum as well as subject matters they are dealing with presently.
As such, the work in ‘Ever Since’ is concerned with time and change. It deals with the effect that time has on art and creation, as well as reflecting on our personal experiences. It is their intention with the show to portray their past and present, to show their transition as artists and to evoke awareness of their relationships with time.
Exhibition opens at Cavan County Museum on Thursday 21st May at 8 p.m. Official opening by Edwin Lynch, Art & Design Department, Cavan Institute. Everyone welcome
Samhain "time of the little sun"
When
Opening Thursday 9 October 2008, 8.30p.m.
Artists
Lydia Bourke: Imelda Bradley; Roisin Duffy;Orla Galligan; Avril Gould; Maria Gkinala; Patsy Lee; Gillian Mee; Miriam McDwyer;Emma McSherry; Carmel O'Callaghan; Celia Richard; Freda Young;
Details
Cavan Visual Artists Network
This is an exploration of Halloween and the start of winter evenings. There is a link to the past here, as Samhain was celebrated in the Gaelic Culture of our forebears.
Beatles Exhibition "Now These Days Are Gone"
When
6 November 2008, 8.30 p.m.
Details
A Photographic Exhibition of The Beatles in 1965
When photojournalist Michael Peto died in 1970 his extensive collection of 130,000 prints and negatives was left to the University of Dundee by his family. Two years ago the university discovered over 500 photographs of The Beatles, the most influential band in history, of which only three had ever been published.
The discovery of the photographs stirred worldwide attention. Shot in 1965, the Michael Peto collection features images of John, Paul, George, and Ringo at the time of the filming of the movie Help!, in the studio, taking tea-breaks, at press conferences and at home. Close associates such as Brian Epstein, George Martin, Mal Evans and Neil Aspinall, along with Beatle wives and girlfriends, are also evident throughout the photographic collection.
‘Michael Peto's photographs of The Beatles give us a remarkable behind-the-scenes look at a band which was at the height of its power and fame’, says Patricia Whatley, Dundee University Archivist.
This exhibition, which has been shown in London and Liverpool, will open at Cavan County Museum on Thursday 6th November at 8.30 p.m.
To coincide with this unique exhibition Ramor Theatre, Virginia is holding a ‘Beatles Tribute Night’ on Friday 21st November 2008. Two opportunities not to be missed by fans of John, Paul, George and Ringo.
IMPASTO
When
27 November 2008, 8.30 p.m.
Artist
Keith Armstrong Exhibition
Details
An exhibition of a variety of subjects in oils which will explore the technique of applying strong vibrant colours in thick layers and textures, using light and shade to emphasise elements of composition.
Lectures Series: Murder in 19th Century Cavan
When
12 November 2008
Details
Dr. Georgina Laragy.
Christmas Evening with Music and Readings
When
Thursday 18 December 2008, 8 p.m.
The shape of things remaining
July 2008
Cavan County Museum looks set to provide a real treat for locals and visitors alike over the holiday period, with the opening of their new exhibition, “The shape of things remaining”. The paintings on display are all new works created for this exhibition by the Irish artist Tommy Barr.
The paintings are the result of his travels in the County over the last year and a half. For Tommy, the research for this exhibition has been and absolute pleasure. Since ancient times, the middle of Ireland has been the sacred heart of the Island. The landscape resonates with the ghosts of the past. Nowhere is this more obvious than in County Cavan and in particular in and around the Burren, so the inspiration has come easily.
The exhibition includes paintings derived from sacred sites (both Christian and pre-Christian), folklore, artifacts (from both the Cavan and National Museums) and traumatic events in the history of the County.
Tommy’s paintings have a highly individual look. He is described by Dr Greer Ramsey of the Armagh County Museum as an artist who “draws upon the past for inspiration, producing modern pieces in a distinctive and instantly recognizable style”. With his work recently collected by the National Galleries of both Jordan and Bulgaria, that recognition is becoming much more widespread.
Tommy is quick to praise the Museum and its staff who have so readily assisted him with the preparation of the paintings. He believes this is “a fabulous resource for the people of the County”.
He is looking forward to seeing the paintings in place and expresses the hope that “those viewing the exhibition might get a little glimpse of the footprints of their ancestors. Perhaps having seen the exhibition, visitors will want to pause next time they pass one of these ancient sites or artifacts, and take the time to enjoy the gifts of the past”.
Diversity
“Diversity” is the name given to this year’s Art, Craft and Design Exhibition in 2008 in the Cavan County Museum in Ballyjamesduff. The show will open on the 17th of April at 8 p.m. and will run for two weeks. This exhibition is a collaboration between sixteen new artists currently studying at Cavan Institute, presenting new and exciting work to the art world. Many different methods and styles were used, promising a very wide selection of art, through the medium of paint, print, sculpture and drawing, from the students.
The Art, Craft and Design course in Cavan Institute is a one-year course which is primarily concerned with portfolio preparation for further art study. However the course also attracts a significant number of both mature students and recent school-leavers. Students also study modules in Communications and Image Processing. The course aims to encourage and develop student’s artistic abilities.
The Art, Craft and Design class is small enough to provide plenty of tuition for each individual student and also to encourage experimentation with various materials and subject matter. Still-life, life drawing, sculpture and computer-aided design are all featured.
“Seen – Not Heard”
An exciting travelling exhibition entitled “Seen But Not Heard – A Century Of Childhood In Ireland’, dealing with Irish childhood in the twentieth century is currently being curated by a number of County Museums in Ireland, including Cavan County Museum. Commissioned by The Local Authority Museums Network and funded by The Heritage Council of Ireland, the exhibition will tour the country during 2008 / 2009.
In what is a major coup, the exhibition will receive its national launch at Cavan County Museum on 1 May 2008, when it will be opened by Minister Brendan Smith. ‘Education’, ‘Health’, ‘Crime and Punishment’ and ‘Work and Play’ are just some of the many themes to be explored in this unique interactive exhibition.
Schools, youth groups and adults will all find something to interest them in this exhibition which will run until the end of June. The exhibition will feature photographs, toys, audio recordings, clothing, school books and other artefacts associated with childhood during the twentieth century.
Cavan County Museum in association with The National Gallery of Ireland will host a National Day - Saturday 24th May 2008
This annual event is an opportunity to encourage people to try drawing and sketching in the beautiful and inspiring environment of the County Museum. Drawing is a universal language understood by everyone regardless of age, language or nationality. Participants will try out different ways of drawing which will be both a learning experience and fun. The workshops will be facilitated by artists Michelle Boyle and Riki Van den Berg.
Adults: 10.30 a.m. - 1 p.m.
Children: 2.30 p.m. - 5 p.m. (age 7+) * families.
Adults €20
Children €10
Please contact the Museum for further details.
049-8544070
Edel Campbell Exhibition – opening Friday 13th June at 8 p.m.
“This coexistence of things in a space to which we add consciousness of our own existence is a very concrete thing”.
Gaston Bachelard, “The poetics of space”
Simple line drawings are the starting point for much of Edel Campbell’s work. Using a combination of painting, drawing, sculpture and animation, her most recent body of work explores the notion of ‘transitional spaces’ - spaces that are either in a physical state of modification or those that become altered because of how we experience them.
She is interested in how we read and engage with different kinds of spaces. How we inhabit, navigate and impose our inner world on them. How space, like language is another structure that can be used to express our sense of being in the world.
In her drawings Edel allows the line to follow the contours of objects in space. Each intersection with another object poses a question of which route the line should take. The drawings become a trail, representing a series of decisions based on her observations.
Edel Campbell studied Fine Art in NCAD, graduating in 1996 and recently completed a Masters in Multimedia systems in Trinity College. Edel is currently based in Red Stables Studios in Dublin.
Flint Mining in Poland
A new initiative to promote co-operation between museums in Ireland and Poland will unveil at Cavan County Museum on Sunday 24th February 2008.
Cavan County Museum will host of a travelling exhibition from the National Archaeological Museum in Poland. The exhibition, Flint Mining in Poland, will examine the development of flint extraction and production in prehistoric communities in Poland and Central Europe. This exhibition includes original artefacts from these early mines, objects associated with the miners, models of the mines and audio visual displays on the processes. The text for the exhibition will be in English and Polish and has been designed to appeal to schools, families and the general public. This exhibition will be of interest to Polish people living in the local and surrounding areas.
The exhibition will open at Cavan County Museum on Sunday 24th February 2008 and will run until end of March.
THE BACK RIVER; An Arctic Journey
Talk and Slide Show by Peter Cork
Wednesday February 20th 8 p.m. Everyone welcome.
The Back river is one of the great remote rivers in the Canadian North. The name given to it by native people’s translates as ‘The Great Fish River’. It is 1000km long and its entire catchment is uninhabited. It was first travelled in the 1830’s by Captain George Back. This was during the period when the British were seeking the elusive ‘North-West Passage’ and Back had been sent to reach the Arctic Ocean, via an overland Canadian route, to seek a Captain Ross who had failed to return from an earlier Arctic Journey. Captain Back’s journey is regarded as one of the great arctic travel achievements.
It is believed that the first full descent of the river since Captain Back took place in the 1950’s. It is now looked upon as a serious canoeing challenge which a small number undertake each year. The river catchment remains unchanged since the time of Captain Back.
In the 1990’s, Bernard Murray and Peter Cork descended the river in a two man canoe. This slide show presentation is an account of this special journey.
Cavan County Museum
Lecture Series 2008
Dr. Terence Dooley (NUI Maynooth) ‘Social Memory and the Murders at Wildgoose Lodge, Co. Louth: Agrarian Crime and Punishment in Pre-Famine Ireland’
Tuesday 25th March 8 p.m. Everyone Welcome. Admission Free.
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- Roy Foster, one of Ireland's leading historians, is Professor of History and a Fellow of Hertford College, Oxford. He is the author of the much acclaimed two-volume biography of W.B. Yeats as well as the definitive history Modern Ireland, and editor of The Oxford History of Ireland. His most recent book is Luck and the Irish: A Brief History of Change from 1970 (Oxford, 2007).
Cavan County Museum – Thursday 3rd April 2008 8 p.m.
- Patrick Cassidy ‘The Quakers of County Cavan’
Wednesday 30th April 2008, 8 p.m.
Admission Free
On 23 May, the Percy French Group from Bangor, Co. Down, performed to a full house, who were there to celebrate positive age. The group performed songs and recited poems written by Percy French and told stories of his life. The event was a huge success and it is hoped that we shall see our friends from Down again in the near future.
On 6 July, the famous GAA commentator and sports personality, Michéal O’Muircheartaigh, made an appearance at Cavan County Museum to speak as part of Cavan County Museum’s lecture series. Speaking to an enthralled audience, Michéal was interviewed by Owen McConnon, and discussed the GAA in Cavan and in general. Afterwards, Michéal took questions from the audience, who enjoyed a great night with lots of stories and witty tales.
Michael and Mick Higgins
Michéal O’Muircheartaigh