New courtyard mural unveiled at museum

INDEPENDENCE Museum Kilmurry has unveiled its new courtyard mural complimenting its surroundings in the Lee Valley.

The museum in Kilmurry village enjoys views over the valley to the Derrynasaggart and Boggeragh mountains, with the mural representing the natural beauty of the museum’s surroundings.

The mural, which was supported by the Cork County Council Arts Grant 2021, was designed by the Cork artist, Peter Martin.

The mural is inspired both by the River Lee and the abstract qualities of the embroidered pattern used on the early 20th century Dun Emer Guild dress in the Museum’s collection.

The pattern is skillfully integrated with the unfolding landscape of the Lee Valley, woven organically through field boundaries and hedgerows and into the distance.

A textual element of the mural, ‘The Beauty of The World is the Heritage of All’, is taken from a line in the writings of Terence MacSwiney.

In full, the quote reflects the principles of unity, universality and solidarity underpinning his vision of independence.

Museum curator, Aodhán Rilke Floyd, said that Mr Martin’s mural has “imaginatively re-interpreted the visual language of the Gaelic Revival through a contemporary idiom.

“So the words of the mural’s message gain new meaning in the context of the interlinked concerns of global citizenship and environmental stewardship,” he said.

The reveal of the mural will take place on Saturday and Mayor of the County of Cork, Cllr Gillian Coughlan, will be in attendance.

The museum has also received substantial funding from the Heritage Council, for resources, under their Community Heritage Grant Scheme for 2021.

The museum aims to eventually digitally record the entire substantial archive, initially concentrating on key collections such as the War of Independence, Civil War, and Terence MacSwiney.