Rockin’ all over the town

When Mullingar resident Sinead Mahon tried to spark the ‘Mullingar Rocks’ craze three years ago, it didn’t get off the ground – and it has taken the ongoing lockdown in response to the COVID-19 outbreak for it to really take off.

In some ways, the rocks have become a symbol of resistance in a world gone mad – a sign that creativity, imagination and interactions between people endure despite the onset of a “new normal” that has, for kids in particular, been a real buzzkill.

People have responded to the ‘Mullingar Rocks’ phenomenon in huge numbers. At the time of writing, the Facebook group page set up by Sinead was approaching 2,000 followers. Meanwhile, pictures coming in to the page suggested that the craze had spread beyond Mullingar to districts like Delvin, Castlepollard and Rochfortbridge.

The idea is simple – to paint, hide and find rocks in your local community. Take a rock, colour it with your own design or message, and leave it in a public place while out walking (observing social distancing at all times, of course).

If you come across somebody else’s rocks, don’t bring them home – pick them up, sanitise them and relocate them somewhere else. Take a photo of the rock at its new location, and post it publicly on Facebook with the hashtag #mullingarrocks. In this way, other people can keep an eye out and see their rocks travelling far from where they left them.

For kids, walks have suddenly become infinitely more interesting, and for families in general, ‘Mullingar Rocks’ has lifted their spirits in a big way during the COVID-19 pandemic.

“It’s just exploded all of a sudden,” Sinead told the Westmeath Examiner. “We only started it on Sunday week last, and suddenly we’re heading for 2,000 followers. People are sending in photos all day, every day. It’s taken on a life of its own.”

Sinead’s only role now is to manage the Facebook group, promoting it and ensuring that any interactions/posts remain civil.

Having initially set up the page in 2017, Sinead had no luck in generating enthusiasm. But the restructuring of people’s lives due to the lockdown has breathed new life into the initiative.

A similar project in Dublin, ‘Raheny Rocks’, featured on RTÉ a fortnight ago, as an example of how people were finding fun in the midst of a pandemic, so Sinead – who lives in Greenpark – decided to give Mullingar another go.

Remarkably, at the time of writing, the ‘Mullingar Rocks’ Facebook page has outgrown its Raheny counterpart by over 700 followers. In Westmeath the craze has gone truly – for want of a better word – viral.

“Obviously, I was a bit anxious that it mightn’t work, but I gave it as much as I could, set up the group to public and just start posting photos of rocks and inviting people,” said Sinead.

“Everyone has a lot of time on their hands now, and we’ve got fabulous weather to boot. People are trying to entertain the kids and get them out for walks without moaning, so it was the perfect time.

“It’s also a great way to spread cheer. You’ll see from the comments on the Facebook page – people are picking them up and saying, ‘That made my day’ or ‘That’s what I needed to see or hear’.

“It’s bringing us all together. As big a town as Mullingar has become, we’re still small.”

With people using social media more during the lockdown, it’s easier to keep them interested in the phenomenon. “It’s as much for the adults as it is for the kids!” said Sinead with a laugh.

‘Mullingar Rocks’ is one of many things keeping its founder busy. In “normal” times, she runs sewing and crochet classes in Mullingar, and keeps that going with an online presence. She combines this and the ‘Rocks’ page with homeschooling her children during the crisis, and working remotely at her day job with Ulster Bank.

Sinead is hugely impressed with the quality and diversity of the rock designs being uploaded to the page.

“Some of them have been inspirational. There’s a girl called Hayley up in Millmount, and she’s only four. She’s doing quite a few. She’s just fabulous.

“People are really getting their creative hats on. Some people are doing hot rocks – which means mammies and daddies can put the rocks in the oven, and then put Crayola on them.

“My own daughter here has been doing mandalas, so she’ll spray the rock with black paint and then put little colours on top of it.

“I’ve seen some fabulous ones – Bart Simpson, Cars, a Ratatouille one. Absolute genius.

“One of the best things about this is when friends who mightn’t be seeing each other during the lockdown find each other’s rocks, with their messages on them. These times are so hard on kids; they don’t fully understand what’s going on, so it kind of normalises things for them.”

On Thursday, Sinead came across a beautiful hand-painted rock parked at the Joe Dolan statue on Market Square. It featured a dove and flowers set against a blue background, and a quote from Mother Teresa: “Peace begins with a smile”.

“This just encapsulated everything I could have dreamed of for our group,” Sinead said, adding that people have suggested to her that some of the more colourful and inspirational rocks should be put on public display in a sort of monument when the coronavirus crisis is over, as a way to remember those who worked on the frontline or died during the outbreak.

“It would be a great permanent feature for our town, particularly with the Fleadh coming in 2021,” she added.

If you want to join in the ‘Mullingar Rocks’ phenomenon, simply log on to the group’s page on Facebook – then get creative, and get walking.