Taughmon-Turin art project on display at The Atrium

The launch takes place this evening, Tuesday February 3, of Mapping Memories, a mixed media and textile artwork now on exhibition in the Atrium at Westmeath County Buildings in Mullingar.

Running from February 3 to February 27, the exhibition is the result of a four-month community arts project facilitated by local creative Claire Delabre and Westmeath-based visual artist Ursula Meehan, working in close collaboration with 10 members of the Taughmon-Turin Women’s Group.

The collective project centres on personal and shared memories of place, with participants exploring experiences rooted in the parish of Taughmon-Turin, ranging from childhood recollections to more recent moments of daily life.

At the heart of the exhibition is a large painted textile map depicting the parish of Taughmon-Turin from a bird’s-eye view. The townland boundaries follow those laid out in the 1837 Ordnance Survey map of Ireland and are stitched into the textile alongside landscape features such as bogs, rivers, forestry and fields.

The work also reflects agricultural activities remembered by the women, including haymaking and turf-cutting, highlighting layers of history embedded in the changing landscape.

Surrounding the main textile map are individual artworks created by each participant, presented within embroidery hoops. These smaller pieces act as magnified snapshots of specific locations linked to personal memories, including fishing on Lough Derravaragh, collecting water from a local pump, spending summers in the bog or walking in nearby woods with family. Each work uses different textile techniques and styles to reflect the individuality of the memories portrayed.

The exhibition also incorporates recorded reflections from the women, which visitors can access via QR codes displayed alongside the artworks. Additional historical context is provided through the display of Taughmon-Turin townland names, along with copies of the 1837 Ordnance Survey map and a 1965 map of the greater Mullingar area.

The official opening, today Tuesday at 6pm, will be conducted by local historian, author and editor of the Westmeath Archaeological and Historical Society Journal, Seamus O’Brien. Members of the public are invited to attend.

The project was funded by Creative Ireland in association with Westmeath Arts Office and supported by Westmeath County Council.