Farm Walks
Creative Communities on a Shared Island
25 January 2024
As part of Creative Communities on a Shared Island, our creative Farm Walk in May will take place at Paddy McGurn's farm in County Fermanagh with artists Anna McGurn and Trish Bennett.
Paddy McGurn's farm
Located on the northern shores of Lough Erne, Paddy McGurn's farm is managed for its species-rich wet grasslands, hayfields and rich variety of wildflowers. There is also a woodland and lowland raised bog on the farm. Breeding waders, including curlews, are frequent visitors to the farm. The Farm Walk will include a demonstration of how clay from the land is used for producing ceramics.
Anna McGurn and Trish Bennett
Anna McGurn is a self-taught ceramic artist based in County Fermanagh. Anna's work is largely based on the human form where she seeks to explore emotion, expression, energy and ultimately connection. In 2022, she was a finalist on Channel 4's The Great Pottery Throwdown.
Trish Bennett is an award-winning writer and performer from the Leitrim-Fermanagh border. She writes about the landscape of her people and the antics of her family and other creatures. Her accomplishments include the New Roscommon Writing Award, the Arts Council of Northern Ireland General Arts Awards, two Leitrim Guardian Literary Awards, and a Cill Rialaig Residency from the Irish Writers Centre. In 2019, her micro-pamphlet Borderlines was published by Hedgehog Press.
As places are limited, this event is open to members of Leitrim Sustainable Agricultural Group and Ulster Wildlife. Booking is required.
About Farm Walks
As part of the Creative Ireland Shared Island Programme, Leitrim County Council and The Dock are working with Leitrim Sustainable Agriculture Group and Ulster Wildlife to present a series of six creative Farm Walks curated by Natalia Beylis throughout 2024.
As part of each Farm Walk, farmers will lead a talk about their farm, current practices and future plans alongside a talk by an invited artist whose work resonates with that farm, its environment, heritage and other special characteristics.
The project draws attention to the synergies and common interests between artists and farmers and highlights common farming, environmental and creative interests in such themes as biodiversity, farming in harmony with nature, water quality and climate action. This project builds on the partnership between the project partners, farmers and artists - fostering goodwill, friendship and collaboration.
