bloodroot…

In Ireland, 1 February marks the beginning of spring and the celebration of Lá Fhéile Bríde, St Brigid’s Day.  The day has long symbolised hope, renewal and the feminine. Since 2018, Irish Embassies and Consulates across the world have been marking the day by celebrating the creativity of women, through a broad programme of events. Hamilton Gallery, Sligo, has curated three major exhibitions involving hundreds of women artists, in association with Irish Embassies around the world for this celebration.

In 2025, the open call exhibition, based in the International city of Peace and Justice was centered on the poetry of Annemarie Ní Churreáin. Four poems were selected by Annemarie from her powerful debut collection Bloodroot as the inspirational and thematic springboard for participating artists. 

Six Ways to Wash Your Hands (Ayliffe, 1978) for the Mother and Baby Homes Commission of Investigation

Bog Medicine 

Sisters

Market Prayer

Inspired by these four poems women artists working throughout Ireland were selected to exhibit 110 artworks. The exhibition’s official launch was on January 31st 2025 in Pulchri Studio, The Hague with speeches by Ireland’s ambassador to the Netherlands, Ann Derwant, Martina Hamilton and a moving recitation of the poems by Annemarie Ní Churreáin. The exhibition subsequently showed in Hamilton Gallery, Sligo in March 2025, opening on International Women’s Day.