Hugely successful Thomas MacDonagh Hedge School held in Cloughjordan

THE hugely successful second annual Thomas MacDonagh Hedge School took place in the Thomas MacDonagh Museum in Cloughjordan from September 18th-22^nd.

Una Johnston, a Director at the Thomas MacDonagh museum and founder of the Thomas MacDonagh Hedge School, says feedback to events has been “extremely positive from both artists and audiences.

“The workshop participants noted the friendly and supportive environment in which they wrote. The visual artists said they loved how their artworks were presented. Speakers expressed their appreciation for the time given to discuss their topics in a meaningful way, and our attendees are already asking for more events like these.

“It’s very gratifying to us that over 150 people visited the Museum in the past five days, many for the first time. They each received a warm welcome from Cloughjordan.”

Over the five days of the Hedge School events, writers and artists delivered their interpretations on the contents of 'The Irish Review', of which MacDonagh was editor.

On Wednesday and Thursday September 18th-19th, writers attended David McLoghlin’s workshop. Inspired by the images and texts published in editions of The Irish Review in the museum’s collection, participants in David's workshop read their impressive new writing on Culture Night, Friday September 20th; a testament to their engagement and David’s talent as a gifted teacher and poet.
Also on Culture Night, members of the North Tipperary Arts Collective (NTAC) launched an exhibition, again in response to texts in The Irish Review. This unique collaborative collection was curated by artist Melissa Ryan and was launched by artist Helen Costello, founding member of the NTAC. Contributors to this extraordinary exhibition include artists Brenda Ainsworth, Didi Delaney, Edwina Knight, Ruth Riordan and many more. The paintings, many of which are already sold, will be exhibited at the museum until November 8th.

Beginning a day of talks and presentations on Saturday morning September 21st, Daniel Mulhall, author, scholar and former diplomat, gave the opening address. In a lively and thoroughly engaging presentation, entitled ‘Literary Nationalism’, Dan gathered up the silken threads that connected MacDonagh and Yeats and their literary contemporaries. He wove a rich tapestry that illustrated the social, cultural and political milieu in Ireland in the early decades of the 20^th Century.

In the afternoon, Sarah Moore Fitzgerald, author and Professor in Creative Writing at the University of Limerick, interviewed Fergal Keane, BBC Foreign Correspondent and author. It is exceptional to listen to a well prepared interviewer speak in depth to an author on his work. Sarah’s questions elicited frank and honest responses from Fergal; responses that demonstrated his profound understanding of himself and human nature, the impulse to create and to be a consumer of literature as a salve. In his world view, Fergal felt that one must read history to understand its trajectory and be open to disparate interpretations and convictions that may not align with one’s own.

For the final session of the day, Dr Róisín Kennedy, Lecturer in the School of Art History and Cultural Policy at UCD and Dr Billy Shortall, Research Fellow in the Irish Art Research Centre at TCD, gave a fascinating talk, with slides, on the art contained within the pages of The Irish Review. In turn, each speaker demonstrated how these works functioned as art, as allegory and mise-en-scène in the political environment of MacDonagh’s time. In tandem with Daniel Mulhall’s conclusions, Róisín and Billy’s talk centred on how it was the work of artists and writers, albeit highly eclectic, that imagined a model for a new independent Ireland.
Before the audience departed, Tori McMorran, Thomas MacDonagh Museum Curator and Archivist, introduced Dr Johnny Connolly and members of the Connolly Family who kindly donated Robert Ballagh’s limited edition print created for The Moore Street Preservation Trust, to the museum.

The image shows the last meeting of the Provisional Government following the Easter Rising 1916. This meeting took place in Number 16 Moore Street following their retreat from the GPO. Depicted in the image were the leading figures of the Rising including Pádraig Pearse, Seán MacDiarmada, Joseph Plunkett, James Connolly and Tom Clarke, and volunteers Julia Grennan, Winifred Carney and Nurse Elizabeth Farrell.

Singer/songwriter Nic an tSaoí performed her piece 'Mathair le Misneach' (Mother with Courage). This song was commissioned by the Museum as a response to the Thomas MacDonagh Museum collection, and was recorded live at the Museum in November 2023. The song can be found on all streaming platforms.

Tori was delighted to announce that over the weekend, historian George Cunningham and Dr Billy Shortall generously donated additional copies of The Irish Review, for which the museum is immensely grateful.

On Sunday afternoon, September 22nd, Dr Róisín Kennedy’s lecture in St Michael and St John’s Church in Cloughjordan, provided an exceptional insight on the Harry Clarke stained glass window. Commissioned in 1923 by the Bishop of Killaloe, Harry Clarke’s masterpiece located above the main altar in the church, was unveiled in 1925. The five light window shows the Ascension with five Irish Saints and St Michael and St John. Róisín gave an account of Clarke’s short and talented life, his commissions, his courteous correspondence with the Bishop in which he justified his suggested changes on the project, before she explained the stained glass window’s iconography.

This final event closed an extraordinary five days of scholarly and entertaining talks and discussions. The organising committee are looking forward now to planning events for the Thomas MacDonagh Hedge School 2025, and thank you all for your support.