DAY OF THE STRAWS
artist: Marie Brett
in collaboration with
writer: Katie Holly
designer: Lucia Pola
in dialogue with
druids, Elders, healers, historians, makers,
musicians, spiritualists, storytellers
and other interested members of the community
producer: Kate O’Shea
curator: Kath Gorman; associate curator: Miguel Amado
Commissioned by Cork Midsummer Festival in partnership with SIRIUS
CONTRIBUTORS
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THE ASHES
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Video: Marie Brett
Script: Katie Holly
Voice: Irene Kelleher
Sound: Cormac O’ Connor
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THE ASHES / VAULT
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Ballinspittle moving statue (audio): Patricia Bowen
Story of ash (audio): Bernadette M. Knopek
The myth of the Day of the Straws (audio): Bernadette M. Knopek
Zoom interview: Eddie Lenihan
Story of ash (audio): Tony Manning
Apparition (audio): Mary O’Shea
Ash, faith and philosophy (audio): Evelyn Richmond
Ash symbolism, family memory and COVID-19 (audio): Siobhan King
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THE CURE
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Script: Katie Holly
Video: Lucia Pola
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THE RITUAL
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Video : Marie Brett
Photography (original source): Cork Celtic Stickmakers:
Stickmakers : Ian James, Denis McSweeney, Matt O’Connor, Pat O’Sullivan,
Joe Sheehan, Martin Thompson, Eugene Trindles
Performance (original source): Clíona Ní Laoi, a.k.a Mama Matrix Most Mystical - Full Moon Cleansing Bath
THE RITUAL / VAULT
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Folk cures photography: Oein DeBhairduin
Vocal: Karina Healy
Video: Marie Brett
Health & Spiritual Healing, moving text: Freda Farrell
The Kiss of Death: Contagion, Contamination and Folklore (2019): Dr. Andrea Kitta
Historic stories (audio): Dr. Michael Martin, BA, PhD
Herbalist, lay homeopath, author and archdruid (audio): Ellen Evert Hopman
Historian, member of the COVID-19 influencers group and influenza specialist (audio): Dr Ide Milne
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THE VIRUS
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Video : Marie Brett & Lucia Pola
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THE SPIRIT
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Video: Marie Brett
Photography (original source): Betty Loughrey
Harp & Vocal - Aisling Urwin (Recorded by Seán O’ Sullivan)
THE SPIRIT / VAULT
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Psychic ability and sixth sense (moving text & audio): Tia Anderson
Pandemic and the Elders (moving text): Helen D’Bharóid
Intuition and visions (audio): Freda Farrell
Hand analysis (video): William Maloney
Fairy forts (moving text and audio): Martina Stronsoe
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THE FAIRYTALE
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Sound: Marie Brett
Script: Katie Holly
Video: Lucia Pola
THE FAIRYTALE / VAULT
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COVID-19 (music): Anonymous singer
Strawing (video): Marie Brett
Around the Fairy Fort, written by Vincent Broderick (music): Evelyn Broderick
Hag in the Churn (music): ​ Evelyn Broderick
Photography (original sources): Heritage Crafts Alive, Steffi Otto, Karen Barry, Dúchas.ie
Supernatural footprint story: Tommy O’Connor, filmed by Karen Barry
Fairytale: (vocal):​ Eoin O’ Shea
Johnny Mickey’s , a.k.a. Johnny Mickey Barry’s (music): Lisa O’ Sullivan & Karen Barry
Story of strawing (conversation and music): Lisa O’ Sullivan & Karen Barry
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THE SEPARATION
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Email Sound: Marie Brett
Email Writing: Katie Holly
Script: Katie Holly
Voice: Irene Kelleher
Sound: Cormac O' Connor
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THE LIST
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Vocal: Katie Holly
Photography (home of Eamon & Catherine Holly: Donncha McAuliffe & Marie Brett
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THE LIST / VAULT
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COVID-19 day (moving text): Noreen Collins
Conversation and pandemic psychological effects (moving text): Bernie Dwyer
‘Hello from the Dog’ (moving text): ​ Bernice Glavin
Coping with COVID-19 (audio): Jon Holford
Druidism and ‘The Morrigan’ (audio): Ellen Evert Hopman, The Sacred Herbs of Samhain​: Plants to Contact the Spirits of the Dead (2019)
The feminine arts (audio): Tricia O Connor
Tea (video): Mary O’ Shea & Kate O’ Shea
Lemon (video): Mary O’ Shea & Kate O’ Shea
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ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
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Brenda Barry, Jim Barry, Sheila Barry, Dympna Collins, Elizabeth Cornyn, Susan Darcy, Nancy Falvey, Karina Healy, Vanessa Kelleher, Veronica Kelleher, Micheal F. Kiely, John Hennessy, Bernice Jones, Colette Lewis, Marie Loughrey, Juli Malone, William Maloney, Lorraine Maye, Julie Murphy, Dr. Clíona O’Carroll, Timmy O’Connor, Mary O’Dea, Clodagh O’Donovan, Evelyn O’Keefe, Lillian O’Leary, Denis O’Sullivan, Pat O’Sullivan, Sean O’Sullivan, Dr. Críostóir Mac Cárthaigh, T. J. Manning, Teresa McCarthy, Eve Olney, Clodagh Piper, Conall Ó Riain, Claire Ryan, Eugene Trindles, Charleville Historic Society, Cork Celtic Stickmakers and all at Cork Midsummer Festival and SIRIUS
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The artist, her creative collaborators and the curators are indebted to the enthusiastic and generous participants. Without their thoughtful conversations and inspiring contributions, this work would have not been possible.
This work includes credits for all known information regarding the original creators of items not produced by the artistic team. The commissioners have made every effort to contact the original creators of any copyrighted content for permission of use. They welcome hearing from anyone who may have additional information regarding the uncredited items in this work.
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Day of the Straws was a residency and small-scale public platform as part of the European partnership project ‘BE PART, Art Beyond Participation’, supported by the Creative Europe programme of the European Union and The Arts Council.
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Day of the Straws is part of ‘Hello World’, an initiative by TransCultural Exchange.
https://transculturalexchange.org/activities/hw/projects/17/page4.html
corkmidsummer.com
siriusartscentre.ie
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© Marie Brett, 2020. All rights reserved
