10,000 messages of peace at Kilkenny’s St Canice’s Cathedral

One of Kilkenny’s oldest medieval buildings is set to unveil an art installation, Peace Doves, an artwork created by the community in collaboration with celebrated sculptor Peter Walker this Thursday (September 10).

This is the first time the project has been in Ireland. It features over 10,000 handwritten messages of peace on bespoke white-paper doves.

Following months of collaboration with local schools, community groups, Kilkenny businesses, individuals and visitors, the artist Peter Walker has been in Kilkenny this week, curating these peace offerings into a beautiful, evocative artwork, set to be unveiled on Thursday (September 10).

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The cascade of paper doves will hang above the crossing in the 800-year-old interior of St Canice’s Cathedral, Kilkenny until November 7th. The delicate flight of paper doves three meters above St Canice’s checkered-tiled floor will transform the medieval interior into a dappled landscape of peace messages that echoes the wishes of the community.

The artist is bringing Peace Doves to Ireland for the first time. Walker explains, “Sometimes the message is a prayer, a wish, a memory or a dedication to a loved one. It is highly individual and specific to the community we are collaborating with. When we bring the messages together, it's my job to curate them into a beautiful artwork, keeping the space they will appear in in mind. Every time and everywhere we bring the concept, we do it completely differently, so it looks different every single time.”

The British sculptor is known locally as one half of “Luxmuralis’ the art collective that brought the sound and light show, ‘Starlight’, to the Cathedral for Yulefest Kilkenny in 2025.

“The Peace Doves project has travelled to a number of cathedrals throughout the UK, and we are delighted now to bring it to Ireland for the first time. Contemporary artwork like this in an ancient place like St Canice’s Cathedral brings the space to life beautifully. I hope that people come in and enjoy it within the serenity of the cathedral.”

For eight weeks from September 10, visitors will enjoy 360-degree views of the dove installation, accompanied by original music composed by David Harper.

​Musical series

Over the coming weeks, the installation will provide an extraordinary backdrop for a programme of live music, starting with BRIT Award-nominated artist Freya Ridings, in conjunction with the Set Theatre and Labyrinth Events on September 10.

Featuring some of the most iconic music of all time, an unforgettable evening of Queen’s greatest anthems in September and a tribute to Pink Floyd in October, performed live by candlelight at St Canice’s Cathedral.

The Lie Down and Listen, Piano Bliss experience at St. Canice's Cathedral is an immersive sound-healing and classical-piano concert where attendees lie down on luxurious mattresses beneath the doves in search of inner peace.

To mark World Mental Health Day, Grow Mental are hosting a night of songs and stories with renowned tenor Paul Byrom and Guests.

For more see www.stcanicescathedral.ie