Touring three-dimensional wool tapestry tells wartime stories in Enniskillen

Ellen O'Donoghue

An Enniskillen Cathedral are hosting an exhibition about D-Day and the Liberation of France.

St Macartin’s Cathedral in Enniskillen are the only venue in Ireland hosting The Longest Yarn, a three-dimensional wool tapestry and touring exhibition.

It tells the story of the 80 days between D-Day and the Liberation of Paris in the summer of 1944.

The exhibition runs until Saturday, February 8th and is open from 10am until 4pm.

The artwork’s story is told in a new video interview with Tansy Forster, the creator of the exhibition who is originally from Northern Ireland, and Dean Kenneth Hall, who serves as Rector of St Macartin’s and Dean of Clogher.

The Longest Yarn draws its name from the 1962 film titled The Longest Day.

The display, knitted and crocheted by hundreds of volunteers worldwide, depicts various scenes to tell a story of that time in history.

The total exhibition measures 80 metres, representing the 80 years since D-Day.

It took over 1,000 people knitting and crocheting from countries across the world, including the United Kingdom, United States, Australia, New Zealand, Canada and France, to create all of the scenes.

It was first unveiled at Notre Dame Church in Carentan, France, on May 28th, 2024, and has been touring cathedrals in England before arriving in Enniskillen ready for opening to the public from January 14th.