GROUP 8 RECONVENES

 

We reconvened last month after our summer break and we are raring to go with our new project 'Made in Ballinasloe'. We will each produce work to this theme which we will exhibit next March (2012) at our annual exhibition. Watch this space!

We hope to have a literary event in January 2012 - details to be tightened up and announced anon.

We are delighted to welcome our newest members, Fiona Glynn who is a Textile Designer, and painter John Soden, to the group. Watch out for their wonderful work in March.

PÁDRAIG LENIHAN ON THE BATTLE OF AUGHRIM

This is from Eoin Purcell's The Irish Story site. Historian Pádraig Lenihan talks about the Battle of Aughrim. Go here for the links to the audios.

ATHLONE LAUNCH PICS - July 2011

We had our launch of Ten Square Miles in Athlone last night. Big thanks to John Donohue who launched the exhibition for us and to Gearóid O'Brien for hosting the exhib, which now runs until the end of July. Thanks too to all those who turned out to support us, including the local press and radio.

The exhibition set up in the Aidan Heavey Library, Athlone

Úna Spain & Joyce Little, preparing for the launch

Gearóid O'Brien of Athlone Library

John Donohue with Joyce Little and Tommy Campbell

Gearóid and friend

John Donohue launching Ten Square Miles

Nuala Ní Chonchúir reading at the launch, with daughter Juno

A woman enjoying Úna Spain's photographs

AUGHRIM & ATHLONE - Ten Mile2 prepares to travel

AUGHRIM:
Group 8 are taking part in the Week of Welcomes in Aughrim, County Galway, on Thursday the 30th of June in the Aughrim Interpretative Centre, with the exhibition, Ten Mile2.
Opening: 5.30pm.

ATHLONE:
We will also launch the exhibition, Ten Mile2, on Thursday the 7th July at 7pm in the Aidan Heavey Public Library, Church Street, Athlone. The exhibition will run for the month of July at the library and admission is free.

Ten Mile2 is the result of collaborative work the group undertook, responding to the Battle of Aughrim in 1691, where up to 9,000 people were killed. Aughrim was the decisive battle of the Jacobite/Williamite War. This battle took place five miles from Ballinasloe in an area of ten square miles.

Group 8 is comprised of five visual artists, two writers and one singer: Joyce Little – visual and multimedia artist; Tommy Campbell – sculptor; Grellan Ganly – visual artist; Úna Spain – visual artist; Brendan Grealy – visual artist; Nuala Ní Chonchúir – writer; Zara Little-Campbell – writer; and Lee Ní Chinnéide – singer.

Ten Mile2, and its accompanying catalogue, will be launched on the night. All are welcome to come and see sculpture, photography, installations, textile work and paintings; listen to live poetry, and prose, and enjoy a glass of wine.

TEN SQUARE MILES - OPENING PICS

Our opening was a great success on Saturday night and the exhibition continues all this week, 11am to 6pm daily. Free admission. Here are a selection of pictures from the night.

Juno McLoughlin

One half of The Lunar Jazz Ensemble

Lee Ní Chinnéide

Tommy Campbell and Joyce Little; Úna's work in the background

Zara Little-Campbell

Joshua Little-Campbell & friend

Grellan Ganly & Ber O'Halloran

Ella Grealy & Aisling Murphy, admiring Brendan's work

Naoise Murphy & Finn Dillon

Tommy strikes a deal over the bog oak dog

Juno & Finbar McLoughlin

Nuala Ní Chonchúir & Úna O'Connor

Úna Spain & friend

John Dillon, with Grellan's work

Martina Finn & Matty Ganly

People enjoying the art and wine

Nuala with her art book, Joyce and Tommy's work behind

SNEAK PREVIEW - THE SET-UP

Tommy Campbell hanging Grellan Ganly's work

Tomorrow night is our launch of Ten Square Miles. Today was/is set-up day. Here are some pics and a sneak preview of some of the work.

Grellan and Brendan Grealy assessing the space

Bonding: Úna Spain and Juno McLoughlin

Ceramic bronzed head sculpture - by Grellan Ganly

Úna and Brenadan, making decisions

Grellan fixing one of his paintings

Úna deciding where to hang what - Juno looking on

The tools of the trade

Nuala Ní Chonchúir's photo book in situ

EXHIBITION LAUNCH - 12th March 2011

Group 8 will launch our latest exhibition, Ten Mile2, which is inspired by the historic Battle of Aughrim in 1691, on Saturday the 12th March at 7pm in Hayden's Hotel. Join us for a glass of wine and music from The Lunar Jazz Ensemble.

Ten Mile2 will run from the 12th March to the 19th March, 11am to 6pm daily, including St Patrick's Day. This weeklong exhibition will consist of original sculpture, installation, photography, painting and writing.

Free admission. All welcome.

VISIT TO AUGHRIM

We enjoyed a group visit to the interpretative centre at Aughrim on Sunday, which the curator very kindly opened for us especially. We have chosen Aughrim and its famous 1691 battle as the jumping off point for our next collaborative exhibition. Watch this space!