Threading needles exhibition depicts wonderful stories of families and love

14 three dimensional hand-sewn dolls made by Tdraveller women are currently on exhibition at Tullamore Library.

The wonderful dolls are the work of the women of the Chatters and Matters, Tullamore Traveller’s Women’s Shed.

Threading Needles, Telling Stories is a storytelling through doll-making project led by artist and doll-maker Teresa Doyle. The purpose of this project is to explore Traveller heritage and culture in a new way, with each doll serving as a vessel for participants to demonstrate and tell the stories of their Traveller experiences.

Through this project, each participant had the opportunity to explore and share their heritage and culture in a new way, through the creation of a three-dimensional fabric doll-like figure.

Sarah McDonagh made two dolls, one of her father William Casey known as Diddle and one of her mother Helena who was known as Nellie.

William and Helena had 12 children, eight girls and four boys, the eldest child was a boy and he died in infancy. ''They were a very quiet man and woman, and they travelled around Ireland for years. He used to work with the farmers pulling beets and spuds. He would make buckets and harnesses for horses. Mam used to sell swag such as clothes pegs, flowers, all different types of stuff.

They were very good-natured people, they helped everyone who needed it, they would never turn anyone away. If one of the women was in hospital she would cook for the husband and children without a second thought. My father used to own horses, but he had to sell them when they settled down in houses,'' said Sarah.

Caroline wrote about her mother Ann McDonagh. ''Ann became known as Nanny. She had 12 children, eight boys and four girls. She was a family woman, she loved her family, she loved her grandchildren and she would go out of her way to help other people. She was very good natured,'' writes Caroline.

''Family was everything to her, she washed and she baked for us all. She loved flowers and she loved handbags. She loved her two grandchildren singing - Jason and Anthony. We travelled the world; my father and mother always travelled and everyone loved seeing my parents because they were so good-natured. I've made this doll in memory of my mother; she wore the purple suit for her grandson's wedding. My father's name was Martin Quinn McDonagh. He used to sell gates, galvanise, cladding and barrels for rainwater. He was known all around the country, he was very good natured. He was a family man and very helpful to all other families. He was 75 when he died on 23rd February 2007. My mother died on December 28th 2015, she was 81 years old. Lord rest them both. I will always miss them. Gone but never forgotten.''

Mary McInerney's doll depicts her mother Nellie. Mary says she was ''the eldest of 17. ''I was reared on the side of the road, raised with great parents, my father and mother, Nellie and Patrick McInerney. I was brought up with a father who showed us everything, how to yoke a pony, drive a pony and tackle a pony, how to build a tent, how to drive a barrel top wagon with a pony under it, how to look after the family, mind my brothers and sisters, clean, wash and cook, beg the country to rear them and feed them and look after them, beg the houses along the roads for potatoes, milk, turnips, eggs whatever we could get to survive. Clothes to put on our backs and you'd come back unyoke the pony and cart, take the harness off the pony and tie her up and take down whatever you were after getting for the day. Put the kettle on the fire and cook whatever you got to feed the children.You'd fix up the sides of the tents and make up the two beds for the night. You'd wash the children and put them to bed,'' added Mary.

The exhibition is in conjunction with Heritage Week which runs until August 25.