Closely Knit

23/10/2024

Please come along!

28/10/2022

......B A B Y B O O T T R I S K E L I O N.....

is on display in Glór for one more week.

We're also looking for a place to display after, somewhere else in Ennis perhaps? Open to suggestions. A shopfront perhaps? It would be great to keep them moving😊

06/10/2022

Planning the next location!...

Watch
This

SPACE!..

The Closely Knit 'Baby Boots Triskelion' is coming to a new gallery - maybe near you🙃

We will share more details tomorrow.

02/10/2022

Today we travelled to a commemoration service at the site of the Tuam mass grave. There was a ceremony for the babies with poignant, moving poetry and music from Anne Rynne. Stunning, shocking and breath-taking visual art by ARC - Alison Rodgers Ceramics, 796 white, porcelain roses adorned the floor.

It was a privilege of the highest order to meet Catherine Corless, who has been instrumental to exposing the rotten collusion of Church/State in the crimes perpetuated to these mothers and babies. Here are some photos and text scrawled onto a whiteboard at the site. The writing is literally on the wall.

-Babies Beneath my Feet-

"I stand here and ask myself why the Bon Secours sisters, Church and State dump babies bodies in a dirty tank but then they got rid of their mothers so babies had no shoulders to cry on. When they cried, they cried and cried. 'Til they died, thrown into a dirty, smelly sewer tank.

Now that they are found, some people say that they're only bones. But those bones were part of their bodies, when they were alive on Earth. Those bones helped them to crawl, jump, run so they could, so they should be taken out of the tank and laid to rest in angels' plots in a consecrated ground where mothers, sisters, brothers could visit and shed a tear, say a prayer and lay roses on their graves.

No president, no Taoiseach, Bishop, Nuns has stood on this site to meet survivors and they call this a Catholic country."
-PJ Haverty

For a small moment have I forsaken thee; but with great mercies will I gather thee. In a little wrath I hid myself from thee for a moment; but with everlasting kindness will I have mercy on thee, saith the Lord thy Redeemer.
Isaiah 54:7-8

22/09/2022

https://www.irishexaminer.com/news/arid-40962560.html

"There is a clear pattern. Any progress comes after soul-draining campaigning from a dedicated group of people and massive public outcry. When Government eventually reacts, it always reacts just enough to get a good headline and satisfy public attention until the news cycle moves on."

This is an indictment on the State. Delay; after delay; after delay.

Still lack of meaningful consultation and communication. Disappointing and insulting.💔

Children's Minister Roderic O'Gorman has promised to explain his decision to abandon a promised independent review of testimony provided by 550 mother and baby home survivors

22/08/2022

https://www.clareecho.ie/closely-knit-boots-remember-mother-baby-homes/

Great write up in the Clare Echo 🙂👇🏾

796 pairs of textiled baby boots will be displayed at the Courthouse Gallery Ennistymon as part of a nationwide series of cultural exhibitions for National Heritage Week.

20/08/2022

Maria Wood joined us one week ago when we unveiled the triskelion at the Courthouse and taught us a simple refrain:

L o v e I s H e r e

Thank you Maria, it was a beautiful offering 💙💛💚

19/08/2022

The Closely Knit installation is being taken down on the evening of Saturday the 20th - so last chance to come and see.

I want to thank everyone, groups and individuals, for contributing to the project.

I am including a list of participants, who are only a sample of the overall creators but the ones named to me and they are:

Maureen Rochford
June McCoy
Sally McMenamin
Ita Killaly
Mavis Keegan
Pauline Hiney
Athy Women’s Shed
Ennistymon Textile Crew
Mary Sweeney
Ruth Elliott
Swords Women’s Shed
Trish Grimes
Susan
& Circle of Stitches

If anyone who has sent booties, and their name does not appear here, please let me know and I will include it:)

It’s been a big part of my life for the last four months and I am very pleased with all the people who helped; including Meave, Nicola and Breige for helping me with the design; Mitch who made the frames; Barry Moore and Maria Wood for their musical healing on launch day; Geoff for his steady hand and mind; and all of my family who helped along the way without whom it wouldn’t have been possible.

Thanks again,
Mary Brosnan ❤️

15/08/2022

Deepest thanks to Barry Moore who came down to the launch and strummed some healing, acoustic guitar through a piece he composed during lockdown...
A calming, poignant reverberation because sometimes, there are no words..
🙏

14/08/2022

Beyond proud to have formed the Closely Knit Triskelion yesterday.

Such a poignant and bittersweet day, filled with colour and music, all the while holding the gravity of the intention and motivation behind the installation itself.

Many people made contact, or passed by and and spoke of their experiences of the Mother and Baby Homes. It is thought-provoking to think that how many people have been impacted, directly or indirectly, and still carry a shame or feeling of irresolution so many still carry.

So for all of the mothers, babies, fathers, sons, daughters, sisters and brothers who hearts heave due to the legacy of institutional abuse - we salute you and acknowledge the suffering endured.

We Will Not Forget You.

💔❣️💔

12/08/2022

EDIT: Gathering at 2pm !!!...

"Closely Knit"

Our co-woven, community craft project will be exhibited at the Courthouse Gallery Ennistymon from the 13th-20th of August.

We will be there tomorrow Saturday the 13th at 2pm - come say hello😊

10/08/2022

🌀👼🧵3 days to E X H I B I T I O N !..🧵👼🌀

Despite running out of storage space and being unsure about whether we would reach the 796 target - it seems we have actually surpassed it !

The boots have been stuffed, stringed and arranged by colour.

We will be finalising the spirals over the coming days ❤️🧡💛🤍💚💙💜

Thank you to each and every person who contributed and sent well wishes. It has been a truly grassroots coming together of craft & crafters.

Go raibh míle,
Grá & síocháin,

Closely Knit Brosnans